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Did Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Janet Protasiewicz release Darrell Brooks on bail before his deadly Waukesha Christmas Parade attack?

By Tom Kertscher
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NO

Milwaukee County Court Commissioner Cedric Cornwall on Nov. 5, 2021 approved Darrell Brooks’ release from jail on $1,000 bail.

The Milwaukee man was in custody, charged with felony recklessly endangering safety in a domestic violence case.

Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm later said the $1,000 bail his office recommended was “inappropriately low.”

On Nov. 21, 2021, Brooks drove a Ford Escape through the Christmas Parade in Waukesha. The attack left six people dead and injured more than 60. Waukesha County Judge Jennifer Dorow sentenced Brooks to life in prison. Dorow ran for the Wisconsin Supreme Court seat but lost in the primary.

Tuesday's high court race pits Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz against former Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly.

Two referendum questions asking voters whether it should be harder to get out of jail on bail are on the April 4, 2023 election ballot.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Wisconsin Circuit Court Access Milwaukee County Case Number 2021CF004596 State of Wisconsin vs. Darrell Edward Brooks Jr
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Bail for Waukesha parade suspect Darrell Brooks was lower than average, analysis shows
AP News How cash bail laws are at stake on Wisconsin’s April ballot
Wisconsin Circuit Court Access Waukesha County Case Number 2021CF001848 State of Wisconsin vs. Darrell E Brooks
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.