Consolidation of SAFE-T Act Suits Approved

The Illinois Supreme Court Monday entered an order consolidating the cases filed against the SAFE-T Act by state's attorneys from throughout the state, including Effingham County.

All parties involved had agreed to move to transfer and consolidate the cases. Effingham County State's Attorney Aaron Jones said the motion explaining the need to consolidate states: "Allowing one court to resolve the challenges to the SAFE-T Act will thus not only avoid the risk of conflicting rulings and relief but also minimize the expenditure of resources by and before multiple courts."

The Supreme Court's order consolidated the cases in Kankakee County. Jones said that Kankakee County State's Attorney Jim Rowe was the first state's attorney to sue the state over the SAFE-T Act and the first county to have a court date and briefing schedule entered.

Judge Thomas Cunnington is assigned to handle the case in Kankakee County. He is the Chief Judge of the 21st Judicial Circuit.

Jones said that the parties are currently working on briefing the issues. He said it's expected that arguments before the Court will take place on an afternoon in early December, with a ruling to be issued shortly thereafter.

The State’s Attorneys that have filed are from the following Counties: Adams, Boone, Brown, Carroll, Cass, Clay, Coles, DeKalb, DeWitt, Douglas, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Grundy, Hancock, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, JoDaviess, Johnson, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Madison, Massac, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Mercer, Monroe, Montgomery, Moultrie, Ogle, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Sangamon, Scott, Shelby, Stephenson, Tazewell, Union, Vermilion, Washington, White, Will, Winnebago, and Woodford; 58 of 102 Illinois Counties.

The SAFE-T Act has an effective date of January 1, 2023.