Greene, Scott State’s Attorneys Join In on SAFE-T Act Lawsuits

By Benjamin Cox on October 5, 2022 at 1:39pm

Briscoe (left), Crews (right) join a host of other State's Attorneys filing against the SAFE-T Act.

Two more West Central Illinois States Attorneys have joined the growing number of states attorneys and chief law enforcement officers across the state in filing suit over the final implementation of portions of the SAFE-T Act.

Greene County State’s Attorney Caleb Briscoe and Scott County State’s Attorney Richard Crews have filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the act that will eliminate cash bail and limit the number of offenses for which people can be held in pre-trial detention.

Crews & Briscoe are asking for a permanent injunction of the SAFE-T Act claiming the Act is unconstitutional, that it violates the single subject rule, violates the separation of powers clause, is unconstitutionally vague, and violates the 3 readings of charges requirement. The goal of the lawsuit for the Counties would be to stop the law, as written, from going into effect on January 1st.

Also signing on to the lawsuit are Greene County Sheriff Rob McMillen and Scott County Sheriff Tom Eddinger.

Both complaints, along with those filed by Morgan County State’s Attorney Gray Noll and Jersey County State’s Attorney Ben Goetten, and at least 20 other State’s Attorneys will most likely be consolidated later this week into one case that will be heard in Sangamon County Court.