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Illinois became the first state in the country to abolish cash bail on Monday, but the courts remained slow in the Metro East.
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State lawmakers passed and the governor signed the criminal justice reform back in 2021. Originally scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2023, lawsuits slowed the SAFE-T Act's enactment. The legislation includes the elimination of cash bail.
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Six interagency law enforcement task forces, including the St. Clair County-based Metro East Auto Theft Task Force, received grant funding this spring to combat car thefts through an initiative of Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ office.
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Illinois quit collecting property taxes from disabled veterans in 2015, but that has cost Metro East school districts and other taxing bodies near Scott Air Force Base hundreds of thousands — or sometimes millions of dollars.
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The 77-year-old didn't pay his property taxes, and St. Clair County foreclosed his home. His story reveals a series of breakdowns in a system that struggles to deal with people who don't fit into traditional society or follow all its rules.
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County officials took yet another step in the process of transferring the 22.5 acre property from private to public control.
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OtherOn Wednesday night, a city committee unanimously approved a recommendation to take the first step in the process for Belleville residents to own up to six female chickens for egg laying.
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In total, the federal government allotted St. Clair County more than $50 million to help it respond to and recover from the public health emergency.
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The office has $200,000 more in its budget than it did about five months ago. The chief defender used the new money to raise salaries to retain existing lawyers and fill vacancies.
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The maps, which have not been updated since 2003, depict the danger presented to home and property owners.