Madison County State's Attorney Tom Haine filed suit this week to block the Safe-T criminal justice reform from taking effect in January.
The suit claims the sweeping measure violates the state Constituion on several grounds, from dismissing victims' rights to eliminating cash bail.
"This is what happens when you pass a 780-page bill with no public vetting, in the middle of the night, in the last hour of a general assembly," Haine said. "This is exactly what happens. You get a mess."
Haine wants a judge to block the law until it can be either reworked properly by the legislature, or dropped altogether.
The bill eliminates cash bail for certain offenses, meaning that judges will decide if people have to be detained in jail until their trial, rather than basing it on who can pay. Opponents have called it a "purge law," while supporters see it as much-needed reform.
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