ILLINOIS Published August 1, 2023 7:00am EDT
Illinois ending cash bail a ‘backdoor’ defund movement that will spark police exodus: experts
Law eliminating cash bail in Illinois to take effect Sept 18
By Emma Colton | Fox News
Sheriffs brace for fallout of ‘America’s most dangerous law’
Southern Illinois Sheriffs Jeff Bullard and Kyle Bacon say they are concerned and discouraged by the state Supreme Court's ruling to end cash bail.
Illinois enacting a law that ends cash bail is a "backdoor way" to defund law enforcement and will likely spark a police exodus as officers ask why they should even bother arresting people, according to retired law enforcement officials who spoke to Fox News Digital.
"No one is looking at the victim side of this or the law enforcement side of this. We have politicians that think that bail is racist against the underprivileged. But it's not. This is the legislative backdoor way of defunding the police," retired Fulton County Sheriff Sgt. Donald "Ike" Hackett said.
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled July 18 that the elimination of cash bail did not violate the state constitution, which will allow the law to proceed and take effect on Sept. 18 after legal pushback from law enforcement and prosecutors. Once it is enforced, judges will not require suspects charged with crimes to post bail in order to leave jail while they await trial. Suspects deemed a threat to the public or those who are likely to flee can still be required to remain in jail.
The ruling came as a shock to retired Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel, who said he had believed it would at least be partially overturned. Now that the law is all but set in stone, he’s anticipating an exodus of law enforcement from the state who either ditch the profession completely or move to other states that embrace the full extent of law and order.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/illinois-eliminating-cash-bail-backdoor-way-to-defund-police-spark-mass-exodus-experts
