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OFFICE OF THE STATE'S ATTORNEY
LAKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
ERIC F. RINEHART

STATE'S ATTORNEY

For Immediate Release
Contact: Jim Newton
224-374-2376
jnewton@lakecountyil.gov

March 30, 2015

Rinehart Helps Usher In New Criminal Justice Law

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said Monday he was proud to participate in the enactment of a law adding new criminal justice protections including the end of cash bail, a mandate for police body cameras and increased police training.

The SAFE-T Act, which includes the Pretrial Fairness Act, was signed into law Monday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“While we are finally ending the injustice of dangerous people buying their freedom, we are also codifying what each of us know to be true -- no one should be in jail simply because they are poor," State's Attorney Rinehart said.

He joined several other officials, including Attorney General Kwame Raoul, in explaining the importance of the new law in establishing both equality and increased safety.

“Unjustly jailing those who pose no risk to the community creates a ripple effect, perpetuating cycles of poverty and crime,” Rinehart said, thanking the governor, as well as other leaders and legislators, who championed the reform bill.

“Thank you to the General Assembly for boldly proclaiming that the criminal justice system must do more to protect all people,” he said. 

State's Attorney Rinehart said reforms in the bill will better protect victims from their abusers, "because judges can end the turn-style that releases those who would use their wealth to evade jail.”

"For this reason, the most pre-eminent victims’ advocate groups support this reform,” he said. “The most accomplished and passionate advocates for victims support this bill”

The State’s Attorney said that instead of turning questions of liberty and justice “into ones of dollars and cents,” judges will have to clearly state why they believe someone should be held or released.

"This transparency will take us inside a judge’s reasoning, and is critical in a system that has failed to live up to the ideal of “'equal justice for all,'” he said

"Good and principled people now have the tools they need to fight systemic discrimination, to bring transparency and accountability to policing, and to ensure that justice is determined by the merit of the matter, and not race, gender, access to money," Rinehart said.

Lake County State's Attorney's Office 18 N. County Street Waukegan, IL 60085  Phone: (847) 377-3000