The Illinois Supreme Court Pretrial Implementation Task Force (Task Force) hosted its third in a series of monthly town hall meetings on August 18 via Zoom on the topic of Pre-First Appearance Activities for the upcoming Pretrial Fairness Act (PFA) implementation in 2023. Over 225 users were present for the Town Hall.

The Hon. Robbin Stuckert (ret.) serves as Chair of the Task Force and served as the lead for the Town Hall meeting. Presenters for the Town Hall included President of the Public Defenders Association Keith Grant, Hamilton and Gallatin County Public Defender Nathan Rowland, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Illinois Attorney General John Carroll, and the Office of Statewide Pretrial Services Director the Hon. Cara LeFevour Smith.

After their presentation on ensuring a meaningful first appearance, Keith Grant and Nathan Rowland answered questions on the topic from those in attendance. John Carroll presented on providing notice to victims and the Hon. Cara LeFevour Smith presented on the assessment of the person charged.

Also in attendance for the Town Hall were Supreme Court Justice P. Scott Neville, who serves as liaison to the Task Force, along with Director of Communications Christopher Bonjean.

The Town Hall meetings are intended to update court stakeholders on the work of the Task Force as it prepares for the changes coming once the PFA goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2023.

Future town hall meetings are scheduled for the third Thursday of the month at noon: September 15, October 20, and November 17. More information is available on the website and any questions regarding the town halls and the work of the Task Force can be sent to pretrialtaskforce@illinoiscourts.gov.