The Illinois Supreme Court Pretrial Implementation Task Force (Task Force) hosted its second in a series of monthly town hall meetings on July 21 via Zoom on the topics of release by citation and release by custody for the upcoming Pretrial Fairness Act (PFA) implementation in 2023.
The Hon. Robbin Stuckert (ret.) serves as Chair of the Task Force and served as the lead for the Town Hall meeting. Presenters included Task Force subcommittee members 16th Circuit Chief Judge Clint Hull and the President of the Public Defenders Association Keith Grant.
Judge Hull described how release by citation will be used under the Pretrial Care Act and what changes are being made and why, while Keith Grant described how release from custody will be used and changed. Keith Grant, Judge Hull, and Judge Stuckert all answered questions on the topic from those in attendance.
Also in attendance were Supreme Court Justice P. Scott Neville, who serves as liaison to the Task Force, along with Director of Communications Christopher Bonjean and the Office of Statewide Pretrial Services Director the Hon. Cara LeFevour Smith.
The Town Hall meetings are intended to update court stakeholders on the work of the Task Force as it prepares for the changes coming once the PFA goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2023.
Future town hall meetings are scheduled for the third Thursday of the month at noon: August 18, September 15, and October 20. More information is available on the website and any questions regarding the town halls and the work of the Task Force can be sent to pretrialtaskforce@illinoiscourts.gov.