Wisconsin Right Now

State Sen. Julian Bradley (R-Franklin) and Rep. Chuck Wichgers (R-Muskego) have announced a Wisconsin bail reform package in the wake of the Waukesha parade attack. In part, the bill would require a minimum bond of at least $10,000 for defendants who have previously committed a felony or violent misdemeanor. Bradley told Wisconsin Right Now: "Community safety has to be a factor as our state considers the flight risk of criminals. Currently, Wisconsin lives are in danger because of the low bail that soft-on-crime judges and DAs are setting. This revolving door for criminals must end. We must bring accountability and transparency to the court system to ensure serial criminals don't continually have the opportunities to put our communities and families in harm's way." He added: "Governor Evers took no time to investigate Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm after the tragedy in Waukesha where a criminal Chisholm let loose killed six people. The absolute mi...

The Milwaukee Court system is STILL limiting how many courtrooms can conduct jury trials, despite a judge setting Darrell Brooks' bail at $500 in a pending felony case because he couldn't give him a trial due to court congestion.  Milwaukee County Circuit Judge David Feiss said in Darrell Brooks' bail hearing for a February 2021 shooting case that he was setting Brooks bail at an amount so low - $500 - that he hoped it "gets him out," referring to the man later accused in the Waukesha parade massacre. [caption id="attachment_45616" align="alignleft" width="200"] Milwaukee County Circuit Judge David Feiss[/caption] "I can tell you that I'm setting it at that amount with the hope that Mr. Brooks is able to post that amount. That gets him out, but also provides some community protection," David Feiss said during the court hearing. Brooks did get out. And he got out again after being charged with another felony cas...

The Milwaukee Court system is STILL limiting how many courtrooms can conduct jury trials, despite a judge setting Darrell Brooks' bail at $500 in a pending felony case because he couldn't give him a trial due to court congestion.  Milwaukee County Circuit Judge David Feiss said in Darrell Brooks' bail hearing for a February 2021 shooting case that he was setting Brooks bail at an amount so low - $500 - that he hoped it "gets him out," referring to the man later accused in the Waukesha parade massacre. [caption id="attachment_45616" align="alignleft" width="200"] Milwaukee County Circuit Judge David Feiss[/caption] "I can tell you that I'm setting it at that amount with the hope that Mr. Brooks is able to post that amount. That gets him out, but also provides some community protection," David Feiss said during the court hearing. Brooks did get out. And he got out again after being charged with another felony cas...

Milwaukee County DA John Chisholm’s office has failed to protect public safety well before the Darrell Brooks case. He refused to prosecute about 60% of felony charges last year. The jail population has plummeted, despite rising crime. Furthermore, when we confronted him with questions in the courthouse hallway, he admitted backlogs in his office and revealed that the system has been sending thousands of offenders "summons" to show up in court, instead of booking them into the jail. We've got it on audio. Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm is trying to pretend the low bail for Waukesha parade suspect Darrell Brooks was an aberration. However, Wisconsin Right Now has repeatedly demonstrated over the past year through investigative stories (rounded up below) how his office - and other Democratic leaders in Wisconsin - have endangered public safety by not holding repeat criminals accountable. The Democratic DA's soft-on-crime approach has escalat...