Group Urges Removal Of Milwaukee County DA

WAUKESHA COUNTY, WI — A conservative group called Empower Wisconsin filed a petition addressed to Gov. Tony Evers urging him to remove Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, according to the petition.

The petition accuses the district attorney of "neglecting his duty to the citizens of Milwaukee
County."

The Wisconsin Elections Commission said Chisholm could face a recall election if enough signatures were collected, according to a WISN 12 report.

Patch reached out to Chisholm's office on Tuesday.

The petition argued that Chisholm's office asked for inappropriately low bail for the man who later drove his SUV through the Waukesha Christmas parade.

Darrell Brooks Jr., 39, was charged with six counts of first-degree intentional homicide in the deaths of Virginia Sorenson, LeAnna Owen, Tamara Durand, Jane Kulich, Wilhelm Hospel and Jackson Sparks. More than 60 others were injured. Brooks was accused of driving his SUV through a crowd of paradegoers on Nov. 21. Brooks' bail was set at $5 million; he remains in custody.

The petition said Brooks was released on a $1,000 bail prior to the parade.

Chisholm earlier called the bail "inappropriately low" considering the violent charges that were pending against Brooks, which included felony bail jumping, battery, resisting an officer and disorderly conduct.

"The state's bail recommendation, in this case, was inappropriately low in light of the nature of the recent changes 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," the petition said.

Chisholm spoke in front of the Milwaukee County Board on Dec. 2.

An unidentified assistant district attorney with two and a half years of experience in prosecuting felony domestic violence cases made a "human error" in seeking $1,000 bail for a man who authorities said later drove his SUV into the Waukesha parade and struck multiple marchers, the district attorney told the board.

The petition accused Chisholm of not protecting the public.

It cited three homicide cases:

• Chadrick Marcinkiewicz was charged on Nov. 26 with first-degree reckless homicide while out on a $5,000 bail for a previous first-degree recklessly endangering safety court case, according to online court records.
• Donta Roberts was charged on Nov. 30 with first-degree reckless homicide while scheduled to appear in court for a 2020 misdemeanor charge of pointing a gun at someone, online court records said.
• Lydia Carmona-Cartegna was charged on Dec. 9 with first-degree intentional homicide, online court records said.

"These tragedies are the direct result of District Attorney Chishom's negligence in protecting the citizens of Milwaukee County and the State of Wisconsin," the petition said.