Kane County Reporter

Senator Don DeWitte referred to the SAFE-T Act as "the war on victims" in a social media post, highlighting what he described as "questionable results." He made this statement in a June 28 Facebook post.

"More questionable results from legislation contained in the “Safety Act," said Donald Dewitte, State Senator 33rd District, according to Facebook. "The war on victims continues in the State of Illinois."

In his post, DeWitte shared a link from The Daily Herald regarding the sentencing and jail time served by Jonathan Franco, a 24-year-old from Streamwood. Franco was sentenced to five years in prison in June after pleading guilty to reckless homicide related to a 2019 crash that resulted in the death of a 35-year-old Carol Stream resident.

Screenshot of Sen. Don DeWitte's June 28 Facebook post | Senator Don DeWitte Facebook page

According to The Daily Herald’s June 28 report, Franco served only 14 days of that sentence. This is attributed to the SAFE-T Act, which allows defendants to have their sentences reduced for the time they are under electronic monitoring. The article states that Franco had been charged with aggravated driving under the influence of drugs, reckless homicide, and aggravated reckless driving following the January 2019 crash that killed Jason Moore and injured Moore’s 12-year-old son. The Daily Herald notes that Franco pleaded guilty to reckless homicide on April 30, was sentenced on June 7, and released from jail on June 21.

The SAFE-T Act, or House Bill 3653, was approved in 2021 and has been amended multiple times. According to an article explaining the Act on NBC5, it implemented various changes to police training and accountability and the rights of detainees and prisoners. The Act includes provisions such as the elimination of cash bail and requiring police officers to wear body cameras by 2025. It also allows courts to deviate from mandatory minimum sentencing and shortens mandatory supervised release periods for specific crimes.

DeWitte has represented Illinois’ 33rd Senate District since his appointment in 2018. Prior to this role, he served as mayor of St. Charles from 2005 to 2013 and as an alderman between 1993 and 2005. He also served on the Regional Transportation Authority Board representing Kane County from 2013 to 2018, according to his official senate biography.