By M.D. Kittle
MADISON — It’s a broken record in Milwaukee County’s revolving door criminal justice system.
Three law enforcement officials shot over the past two weeks were seriously injured by suspects released on low bail following previous criminal charges.
And the song remains the same: the liberal criminal justice policies of Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm and his ilk are literally killing innocent people.
State Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point) on Friday reiterated a call for Evers to remove Chisholm from office.
“In the span of two weeks, three members of Milwaukee law enforcement have been gunned down by multiple alleged shooters who were free on bail, courtesy of Milwaukee DA John Chisholm,” said Testin, also a candidate for lieutenant governor. “Wisconsinites will not stand for the emerging mentality that it is open season on our law enforcement officers. Tony Evers has an obligation to our citizens to step up, do his job, restore law and order to Milwaukee, and fire John Chisholm.”
Dionta’e Hayes, one of the teens charged in the shooting of an off-duty police officer in Milwaukee’s Third Ward, was free on $500 bail. Hayes, not long before, was charged with injuring another police after fleeing from a stolen car.
Jetrin Rodthong, accused in the shooting of a Milwaukee police officer Thursday evening, was wanted felon on three cases stuck in Milwaukee County’s broken court system, including felony bail jumping. He had previously been released on just $300 and $3,000cash bail. Finally, on Sunday court officials figured out Rodthong is a clear danger to society and set the 22-year-old’s bail at $1 million.
Chisholm’s liberal “justice” policies are under fire after his office recommended low bail for a career violent offender who went on to be charged in the Waukesha Christmas parade massacre. Darrell Brooks Jr. has been charged will killing six people and injuring dozens more after police say he plowed his red SUV into the Nov. 21 parade. Chisholm blamed “human error” for his office’s recommendation that Brooks be released on a mere $1,000 bail after he was accused of running over the mother of his child with the same SUV — just three weeks before the parade. But the Waukesha massacre was just one of many instances involving Chisholm’s low bail, soft-on-crime policies.
Low bail, a dysfunctional court system, and a refusal by the DA’s office to prosecute criminals have led to a spike in violence and, clearly have played significant roles in the spate of law enforcement officer shootings.
Milwaukee County citizens filed a complaint in December asking Gov. Tony Evers to open an investigation into Chisholm’s conduct. The governor rejected the complaint, claiming it was not properly completed. But the Democrat shares Chisholm’s liberal criminal justice philosophies. Evers campaigned on reducing the state’s prison population by half, and proposed eliminating federal bail-jumping penalties in his last proposal.
State Rep. Joe Sanfelippo (R-New Berlin) said the Evers administration’s Department of Corrections has made it public policy to not hold convicts on probation and parole accountable. According to the Division of Community Corrections most recent report, 6,600 people under the agency’s supervision committed crimes while on probation or parole. DCC did not recommend revocation hearings for those offenders.The agency insists the costs to do so would be substantial.
Sanfelippo has authored a bill that would revoke parole or extended supervision for individuals charged with a crime.
“Most people think that if a person is given the privilege of being released from prison early and they’re out on supervision, that’s a privilege not a right. And along with that privilege comes responsibilities,” the lawmaker said.
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