Misstatements hide truth on SAFE-T Act

Some state’s attorneys continue to blame the SAFE‑T Act for outcomes the law does not cause. This pattern has become familiar: when something goes wrong, the statute is attacked instead of the officeholder taking responsibility for using the tools already available to them.

When I interviewed Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart, he made this clear. The SAFE‑T Act gives prosecutors broad authority to seek detention for dangerous individuals — including those charged with violent felonies, domestic‑violence‑related offenses, serious gun crimes and any felony involving great bodily harm. Judges can detain defendants when prosecutors present evidence of danger or flight risk. That standard has not changed.

Yet, a few state’s attorneys, including DuPage County’s Robert Berlin, continue to suggest their hands are tied even in cases where the law explicitly allows detention. When officials misstate what the statute says, they mislead the public and shift attention away from their own decisions.

But the responsibility doesn’t end there. The Daily Herald’s recent article amplified these claims without examining their accuracy. Readers deserve reporting that checks assertions against the law itself, especially when public safety is at stake. Repeating a claim without context turns journalism into a megaphone, not a safeguard.

The SAFE‑T Act is not preventing prosecutors from doing their jobs. But misrepresenting it — whether by officials or by uncritical reporting — prevents the public from seeing the real issue: accountability.

Richard Garling

Grayslake