Macon Reporter

State Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) strongly opposes the recent Illinois Supreme Court decision in Illinois to allow no cash bail. 

Caulkins warns the provision will lead to more crime, hinder officer recruitment and retention, and neglect crime victims. He argued that the move has failed elsewhere, and is not in the best interest of the people of Illinois.

“I think this is a political decision clearly not in the best interest of the people,” Caulkins told The Center Square. “It will only lead to more crime while making recruiting and retaining officers more difficult as they go through the process of arresting people only to see them back on the streets in a matter of hours. Our constitution talks about bail and says ‘shall’ and not ‘may'.”

Caulkins also stressed that “This hasn’t worked anywhere they’ve tried it and it has even been rejected in California by voters."

"I really don’t know why so many members of the Democratic Party here in Illinois think they can do this better,” he said. “This does nothing to improve the already dampened morale and spirit of officers in this state. It’s like the system is no longer there to help people. Crime victims are being left out to dry at a time when we need to be working for the betterment of everyone.”

In the historic decision, on July 18, the Illinois Supreme Court overruled a lower court judge noting the provision of the SAFE-T Act, which ends cash bail, as constitutional. The 5-2 vote came after a six-month delay caused by legal challenges against the provision. Critics argued that the law restricts judges' discretion in detaining individuals. Courts across the state will have a two-month preparation period before the new bail rules take effect.

In Southern Illinois, sheriffs have begun warning their constituents they expect an uptick in crime when cashless bail is launched in September. Franklin County Sheriff Kyle Bacon and other sheriffs in southern Illinois are warning of anticipated increased crime rates and victimization following the Illinois Supreme Court's ruling to end cash bail, making Illinois the first state to fully abolish it; law enforcement expresses concerns over the potential consequences of the change and argues that it's an experiment on the backs of crime victims. In addition to ending cash bail, Democrats have passed legislation that restricts the ability to challenge unconstitutional laws, limiting challenges to Democrat-controlled courts in Chicago and Springfield, and raising concerns about the erosion of checks and balances in the state.

Meanwhile, in the wake of lower court rulings against the SAFE-T Act and the state’s expansive gun ban, Democrats passed legislation that restricts the ability to challenge unconstitutional laws, limiting challenges to Democrat-controlled courts in Chicago and Springfield and potentially hindering conservative opposition. The move is seen as an attempt to control which cases reach appeals courts and consolidate power in the hands of the Democratic majority, leading to concerns about eroding checks and balances in Illinois, Chicago City Wire reported.