DA: Overworked assistant set bail too low for parade suspect
Associated PressMADISON, Wis. — Milwaukee County’s top prosecutor said Thursday that a young assistant in his office rushed to set $1,000 bail for a man before he allegedly drove his vehicle through a Christmas parade because she was overworked and never saw his risk assessment. District Attorney John Chisholm told the county’s judiciary committee during a hearing that the assistant prosecutor handling a domestic violence case against Darrell Brooks Jr. had been on the job for only two-and-a-half years, was handling two dozen other felony cases and a jury trial when Brooks’ case fell to her and never had access to Brooks’ risk assessment because it hadn’t been uploaded into the office’s system, Chisholm said. Chisholm’s office has taken heat for setting bail at $1,000, with critics saying he essentially enabled Brooks to attack the parade. Steven Shea asked him what he’s supposed to tell constituents who feel Milwaukee County’s courts are a “revolving door putting violent criminals out on the street.” Chisholm and the county’s chief judge, Mary Triggiano, responded by painting a picture of a Milwaukee County court system that has been limping along since the pandemic struck.
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Wisconsin lawmakers push for higher bail after parade deaths
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There's a backlash brewing against bail reform after the parade tragedy in Waukesha
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