A ruling is expected by mid-December in the legal challenges filed by Sangamon and around 60 other Illinois counties against the proposal to end cash bail in the state on January 1st.
Those cases allege the SAFE-T Act and its provisions known as the Pretrial Fairness Act violate the state constitution by taking away a judge’s discretion to set bail in many cases. The lawsuits were consolidated into a single case in Kankakee County, where a schedule for briefs and hearings has now been set.
Oral arguments will be heard on December 7th, with a ruling expected on or before December 15th. But lawmakers will return to Springfield before then and may make changes to the law, which could also impact the legal fight.
