Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm says his office is investigating the “low” $1,000 bail recommendation in a previous case against Darrell Brooks, who is suspected of driving a car into a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Brooks posted the $1,000 bail and was released from custody just over a week before the deadly incident in Waukesha.
In a statement on Monday, Chisholm laid out the pending charges against Brooks.
In July 2020, Brooks was charged with two counts of Second Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety and Felon In Possession of a Firearm. The bail in the case was set at $10,000 but later reduced to $7,500.
On Feb. 9, 2021, the bail was reduced to $500 because “the defendant’s demand for a speedy jury trial could not be met.”
The statement continued:
“On November 5, 2021, the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office issued against Mr. Brooks charges of Second Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety, Felony Bail Jumping, Battery, Obstructing an Officer and Disorderly Conduct…The most recent case against Mr. Brooks was appropriately charged. The State made a cash ball request in this case of $1,000, which was set by the court. The defendant posted $1,000 cash bail on November, 11, resulting in his release from custody.”
Read the statement below:
BREAKING: The Milwaukee Co. District Attorney says Waukesha suspect Darrell Brooks should not have been released on such a low cash bond earlier this month. They are conducting an internal review.#Waukesha #waukeshaChristmasParade pic.twitter.com/GmUNOkwLpg
— Kristen Barbaresi (@KristenBarbar) November 22, 2021
Chisholm said, “The State’s bail recommendation in this case was inappropriately low in light of the nature of the recent charges and the pending charges against Mr. Brooks.”
“The bail recommendation in this case is not consistent with the approach of the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office toward matters involving violent crime, nor was it consistent with the risk assessment of the defendant prior to setting of bail,” he added.
Finally, the statement said, “This office is currently conducting an internal review of the decision to make the recent bail recommendation in this matter in order to determine the appropriate next step.”
On Sunday, at least five people were killed, and more than 40 were injured when a car drove into a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin.