THE FOLLOWING RELEASE IS FROM STATE REP BRANDUN SCHWEIZER’S OFFICE
DANVILLE, IL – State Representative Brandun Schweizer (R-Danville) is renewing his call for reforms to Illinois’ pretrial detention system following the third anniversary of the elimination of cash bail under the SAFE-T Act.
Illinois became the first state to eliminate cash bail statewide when the Pretrial Fairness Act took effect on September 18, 2023.
“Three years is long enough to recognize that the current law does not give judges all the tools they need to protect the public,” Schweizer said. “Whether someone remains in custody should not depend solely on the size of their bank account—but it should depend on the danger they pose to victims, law enforcement and the community.”
Under the current system, judges may order a defendant detained only when the charges and circumstances satisfy requirements established by the law. Schweizer believes those restrictions can prevent judges from considering the full circumstances surrounding certain felony cases.
“Families in Vermilion and Champaign Counties expect our criminal justice system to protect the rights of the accused while also standing firmly with victims and law-abiding citizens,” Schweizer said. “Those principles are not mutually exclusive. We can recognize the presumption of innocence without forcing judges to release someone they believe poses a serious and identifiable threat.”
Schweizer said local judges, prosecutors and law-enforcement officers are in the best position to evaluate the defendants who appear before them.
“Springfield should not substitute a one-size-fits-all political mandate for the judgment of the people who know these cases and serve our communities,” Schweizer said. “Judges should have meaningful discretion to detain dangerous defendants, respond to violations of release conditions and protect victims from further harm.”
House Republicans have introduced several proposals intended to address shortcomings in the current law, including:
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House Bill 1482, which would expand eligibility for pretrial detention to all felony offenses and allow judges to consider the individual facts of each case.
- House Bill 1483, which would strengthen accountability for violations of pretrial-release conditions, including failures to appear in court.
- House Bill 1479, which would give judges greater authority to revoke pretrial release when defendants violate the conditions imposed upon them.
“These are measured reforms that preserve individualized hearings while restoring necessary authority to the courts,” Schweizer said. “Governor Pritzker and the legislative majority have acknowledged that changes may be needed. It is time to move beyond lip service, bring these proposals forward and give them an honest hearing.”
“My responsibility is to the people I represent,” Schweizer concluded. “Public safety must come first, victims must have a voice, and judges must have the authority to keep dangerous individuals from returning to our streets.”
The September 18, 2023, effective date is confirmed by contemporary reporting on implementation of the Pretrial Fairness Act. The descriptions of HB 1479, HB 1482, and HB 1483 are consistent with the House Republican reform proposals publicly outlined by Representative Tom Weber.
