On New Year’s Eve, less than 12 hours before cashless bail was to take effect, Illinois Supreme Court justices put the elimination of cash bail in the state on hold indefinitely.

The Illinois Supreme Court on Saturday posted an online notice that it is staying the Pretrial Fairness Act, the law within a broader criminal justice overhaul called the SAFE-T Act, which contains the cashless-bail change. The stay will remain in place until the justices issue a new order.

The Illinois legislature was busy in 2022, enacting hundreds of new laws, many of which will take effect on Sunday.

Kankakee County Judge Thomas Cunnington issued his ruling after dozens of state’s attorneys sued to prevent Illinois from eliminating cash bail beginning Jan. 1.

When the Pretrial Fairness Act, a section of the Illinois SAFE-T Act, goes into effect Jan. 1, those charged in criminal cases in dozens of counties across Illinois will no longer have to pay any cash in order to be released from jail while they wait for their trial.

Federal investigators allegedly identified Agnieszka Chwiesiuk in photos and videos from inside the Capitol building during the riot. According to the feds, she can be seen alongside her brother, Karol Chwiesiuk, a CPD officer who is facing five misdemeanor charges stemming from his own alleged involvement in the riot.

Robert Crimo Jr., 58, looked somber and tired in his first appearance before a judge since voluntarily surrendering to police Friday. His lawyer told the judge Saturday that the father of three would be able to pay the required bond amount for his release.

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart announced Robert Crimo Jr. — the father of Robert Crimo III — was arrested Friday and charged with seven counts of reckless conduct.

Chicago taxpayers will pay $1.2 million to settle three lawsuits claiming Chicago police officers committed a wide range of misconduct, including handcuffing an 8-year-old boy for more than 40 minutes during a raid of his family’s home.

Prosecutors said William Kohles was upset over crime rates in Chicago when he allegedly wrote a threatening message to Mayor Lori Lightfoot in which he claimed he would shoot the mayor. 

Jay Bollyn, 69, was arrested on hate crime charges and ordered held on a $100,000 D-bond during a court hearing Tuesday. He must post $10,000 to be released from custody.

A new report from the University of Chicago Law School’s Federal Criminal Justice Clinic shows that locking up pretrial defendants has become the norm in federal court, rather than the exception, as required by law.

Edwin Lagunas, 18, has been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and an additional count of aggravated battery with a firearm stemming from the Nov. 20 shooting that left Ruby Navarrete and Lynner Hawkins dead.

In less than a month, Illinois will become the first state in the nation where those arrested for crimes will not have the option of paying cash bail. Instead, whether someone stays in jail as they await trial will be based on a series of metrics used by judges.

U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John Lausch on the high-profile cases his office is currently working through. 

Bryon Ortega, 19, was charged this week with aggravated criminal sexual abuse, criminal sexual assault and two child pornography-related charges after he allegedly abused two high school students.