New bail reform ‘isn’t going to be perfect,’ court players and advocates say as changes are set to take effect

The night before historic bail reforms were set to take effect on Jan. 1, Cook County court officials and workers were poised to implement the new system after years of seemingly nonstop meetings.

They replaced all the paperwork used for bail-related releases with new forms revised to comply with the law that eliminates cash bail as a condition of release from jail, judges told the Tribune.

Then, on New Year’s Eve, the Illinois Supreme Court halted implementation of the measure hours before it would take effect, putting the reforms in limbo and sending local court staff scrambling to reverse course for the court day.

“We showed up on Jan. 1, … we had all our new forms ready,” said Cook County Judge Mary Marubio, head of the pretrial division. “We didn’t order the old forms.”

She told the public in court that morning to expect some “hiccups.”

“It’s a massive ship that needs to be turned,” said Judge Charles Beach, a judge in the pretrial division. “It doesn’t turn on a dime.”

Now, after a nine-month delay due to litigation from prosecutors across Illinois who opposed the law, the reforms will be