Senate improves landmark criminal justice legislation

SPRINGFIELD -- Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) issued the following statement today after the Senate passed legislation clarifying certain portions of the Pretrial Fairness Act:

“Our goal when we passed the Pretrial Fairness Act nearly two years ago was to overhaul a broken criminal justice system, one in which dangerous people could buy their way out of jail while people accused of non-violent crimes remain detained as they await their day in court simply because they lack resources.

“The measure we passed today preserves that goal while providing clarifications to eliminate any misunderstandings and ensure the implementation of this groundbreaking reform is smooth.”