Lying about pretrial detention rules in Illinois has been the go-to move for opponents of criminal justice reform for so long it’s starting to seem like maybe there isn’t a way to win the argument on factual merits.

In January 2021, before Gov. JB Pritzker even signed the law currently in the White House’s crosshairs , state Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, wrote an essay proclaiming, “By removing even the option of imposing cash bail, you are handcuffing our judicial system. Under this legislation, everyone, no matter what crime they committed, is entitled to immediate release.”

Bail is for the accused, not the convicted, but “presumed innocent” as a legal concept is rarely relevant in the court of public opinion. Of larger concern was Rezin’s assertion that “everyone” was entitled to rele

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