PEORIA, Ill. – It will still be a couple months before it takes effect, but now that the Illinois Supreme Court has lifted a stay on the implementation of the “cashless bail” portion of the state’s “SAFE-T Act” law, one local prosecutor says she’s ready.
Peoria County State’s Attorney Jodi Hoos was not one of the 60 of her colleagues in Illinois who filed suit to try and get the law stopped.
Hoos tells 25 News the public should not be concerned about violent offenders awaiting trial, being put back on the streets.
“I don’t think much is going to change,” said Hoos. “Most of the people in Peoria County Jail currently are going to stay there. I don’t think the SAFE-T act changed much of that at all.”
Assistant Peoria County Public Defender John Spears is a former prosecutor and current candidate for circuit judge. He tells 25 News, if elected, he will have to take in account a defendant’s history and threat to the public when determining pre-trial release.
“Nobody wants to house somebody in custody when they don’t have to — that’s taxpayer dollars,” Spear said. “I don’t think that this area is the reason the SAFE-T Act was implemented in the first place.”
Tazewell County State’s Attorney Kevin Johnson said earlier this week he may not like it, but cashless bail is now the law, and he’ll enforce it, along with all others who were in opposition.
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