Kane County State’s Attorney disputes claims made by a Political Action Committee urging for the repeal of the SAFE-T Act

KANE COUNTY — In a recent statement made by Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser, she went on the record to debunk claims being made by a bipartisan Political Action Committee (PAC) that calls itself The People Who Play By the Rules (PBR).

According to Mosser, PBR has made statements that it has reached out to her to urge her to advocate for the repeal of the SAFE-T Act, which will take effect starting Jan. 1 and retools multiple parts of the criminal justice system, including the elimination of cash bail.

Mosser explained that she has received no such contact from PBR nor have they provided her with any reasoning from their perspective for why she should take the position of repealing the SAFE-T Act.

“The portion of the SAFE-T Act that is set to take effect January 1, 2023, is the Pre-Trial Fairness Act, which eliminates cash bail in the State of Illinois,” said Mosser. “Illinois’ current bail system has two main functions—to protect the public from dangerous people and to assure that defendants come to court. However, this system has drawbacks. It unfairly punishes those of low income who cannot post even a small amount to be released from jail. It also allows dangerous offenders to post bail if they have the funds to do so.”

Mike Koolidge, the spokesman for PBR, stated that PBR is calling on all state’s attorneys in Illinois to call for the repeal of the SAFE-T Act, adding that it is “an abominable piece of legislation that was passed during the unaccountable Springfield Veto Sessions of early 2021.”

Despite criticism from many political figures regarding the SAFE-T Act, Mosser appears to be in support of its implementation, for the most part, however, she agrees that some things can be changed about it.

“Changes need to be made to the Pre-Trial Fairness Act as currently drafted to effectuate this goal. We need to have the ability to hold those who are a danger, those who are not likely to appear in court, those who may obstruct justice or intimidate victims and witnesses, or those who may have an issue that causes them to be a safety concern to themselves or the community,” stated Mosser.

She continued, “During the last 18 months I have worked closely with members of the General Assembly, law enforcement, and other State’s Attorneys to make changes to the SAFE-T Act. I remain ready and willing to work with legislators to amend the Pre-Trial Fairness Act so Illinois has a system that is fair and also protects the public.”