Waukesha Parade Crash Suspect’s Bail Raises Questions

Associated PressPublished: November 23, 2021

WAUKESHA, WI - NOVEMBER 22: People leave items at a memorial at the base of a flag pole in Cutler Park during a vigil on November 22, 2021 in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Five people were killed and several injured after Darrell Brooks, Jr. drove an SUV through a holiday parade route on November 21st. The vigil is being held at Cutler Park, near the crime scene, to honor the victims. (Photo by Jim Vondruska, Getty Images)

By SCOTT BAUER, BERNARD CONDON and MIKE HOUSEHOLDER, The Associated Press

WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — The suspect in a Christmas parade crash in suburban Milwaukee that killed five people was free on $1,000 bail posted just two days before the deadly event, a fact that is leading to a review of what happened and renewed calls for giving judges more power to set higher bails.

But legal experts caution that one extreme case should not be reason to push for higher bail amounts that would keep poorer defendants behind bars longer while they await trial.

Police said Darrell Brooks was behind the wheel of the SUV that sped through the parade route in Waukesha on Sunday, killing five and injuring 48 others.