
Public defense reform advances as Illinois moves to hire statewide public defender
The initial statewide public defender will serve a two-year term and receive a salary of $218,400 — equal to that of Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

The initial statewide public defender will serve a two-year term and receive a salary of $218,400 — equal to that of Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

Jail populations down, no change in failure to appear rate, analysis shows SPRINGFIELD – One year after Illinois became the first state in the nation to eliminate the use of cash bail, the impact on the state’s criminal justice system appears to have been far less dramatic than people on either side of the

Illinois is set to become the first state in the nation to eliminate cash bail after the state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a landmark criminal justice reform law did not violate the state’s constitution. The high court said the law should now go into effect in September.

Critics of a law to eliminate cash bail in Illinois starting Sunday fear a judge’s ruling that the plan is unconstitutional will create a chaotic system of pretrial release unless urgent action is taken.