Milwaukee County court officials have reported that an error led to them failing to record audio of a bail hearing for a man before he allegedly drove his vehicle through a Christmas parade, killing six people.
Court officials said they only discovered that audio of the hearing was missing after reporters requested a copy of it, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Court Administrator Holly Szablewski explained that a digital audio-visual system used to stream court proceedings during the pandemic was not properly integrated with an old audio system. Audio of the court’s proceedings was not recorded for four days due to the error.
Darrell Brooks Jr. posted a $1,000 bail five days before prosecutors say he drove his SUV through the packed parade route in Waukesha on Nov. 21, killing five adults and one child and injuring about 60 other people.
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, a Democrat, has been under intense criticism for the bail recommendation in a domestic violence case. He has called the bail recommendation from his office “inappropriately low” given the circumstances of the crimes Brooks was facing and his prior history.
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