Kane County Justice Partners on the SAFE-T ACT
Kane County Justice Partners Joint Statement on the SAFE-T Act
On January 1, 2023, the SAFE-T Act will go into effect across the State of Illinois. The new law has been the subject of much debate and understandably so. However, the purpose of this letter is not to debate the merits of the new law but rather to let the citizens of Kane County know what's being done to prepare for it.
Over the past year, the Kane County Judicial Partners (led by Chief Judge Clint Hull, State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser, Public Defender Rachele Conant, Circuit Clerk Teresa Barreiro, and Sheriff Ron Hain) have been working together on a daily basis to be ready for January 1st.
Chief Judge Hull stated, “I am extremely proud of the cooperation that has taken place. The Kane County Circuit Clerk, Judiciary, Public Defender’s Office, Sheriff’s Office, State’s Attorney’s Office along with other county offices have worked together to understand the law, identify areas of concern, and to develop policies and procedures that will allow for us to best implement the new law.”
Sheriff Ron Hain said, “I am pleased with the criminal law clarifications in the latest trailer bill and the view that the new law is prospective, meaning that jail doors will not just ‘swing open’ on January 1st. Your Sheriff’s Office is already positioned with body cameras, enhanced training, and policies to meet all of the SAFE-T Act requirements.”
Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser said, “as the elected State’s Attorney, I promised to bring true criminal justice reform guided by public safety to Kane County. While the SAFE-T Act was intended to bring reform, there were several concerns that prosecutors and law enforcement had with the language. Over the last two years, we worked diligently to amend the act so that we brought safe reform. While I think that there are changes that still need to happen, we have worked together to eliminate the antiquated use of cash bail. As a pilot program in Kane County, we have worked together over the last several months to implement this act in the best way for the citizens of Kane County. My thanks to State Attorneys Bob Berlin from DuPage County, Julia Rietz from Champaign County, and Jodi Hoos from Peoria County, along with Illinois Sheriff’s Association President Jim Kaitschuk, Lemont Police Chief Marc Maton, FOP President Andrew Bodewes, and Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly in their work to amend the SAFE-T Act. And my continued thanks to our great judicial partners in Kane County for creating a strong framework for the implementation of the Pre-Trial Fairness Act.”
Public Defender Rachele Conant stated, “the stakeholders in Kane County have worked tirelessly this past year to ensure that this groundbreaking legislation is implemented as seamlessly as possible. As the Public Defender, it has been an honor to be a part of this work group and to ensure that all of those who may enter our courthouse have their rights protected. While those in the work group may have had different interpretations of the legislation, we worked together to guarantee that Kane County is ready for January 1st, and I am confident that we are.”
Circuit Clerk Theresa Barreiro said, “The Circuit Clerk’s office has put in place processes to comply with the State of Illinois additional reporting requirements as well as updating our forms to be ready by January 1st. I am very proud of our team. “
Kane County judiciary and public safety are ready. We understand and expect that despite all of the work that has been done, we will run into issues and obstacles that we did not anticipate. But please know, we will continue to work together to respond to these obstacles and find solutions in the best interest of entire community.
Source/Joint Statement from Kane County Justice Partners
