White House Stand By Push To End Cash Bail In Wake Of Waukesha Parade Attack

The White House will not relent in its call to abolish cash bail and believes that defendants should be held based on their threat to society and not their ability to pay bail. Cash bail policies are in the news after Darrell Brooks Jr., 39, allegedly drove through innocent people at a Waukesha Christmas parade and killed six people. This includes an 8-year old boy and dozens more injured.


It was reported by a White House official that ending cash bail would not result in people being charged with crimes on the streets. They said that it simply means that bail should be granted based on your threat to the public, not how much money is in your bank account.


The official stated that wealthy Americans shouldn’t have their own criminal justice system and that Brooks was released on bail by Milwaukee County prosecutors.


Darrell Brooks was initially released on bail at $10,00 with a criminal record dating back to 1999. Brooks was convicted of sex offenses and posted bail twice in Wisconsin in this year’s case despite an active warrant to jump bail in Nevada for a sex offense.


Brooks was charged with punching his girlfriend in her face, then running over her in a parking lot at a gas station. Milwaukee prosecutors had requested $1,000 bail, which prosecutors admitted was too low of a bail.


Brooks’ criminal record includes multiple firearms, battery convictions, strangulation, and sex offenses. Brooks also has drug charges on a 50-page report that covers three states.


The White House published a 42-page report last month entitled “National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality” and called for reforming our pretrial system and ending cash bail.

According to the White House, eliminating cash bail is one of the steps governments can take in combating gender and racial disparities.


As FBI data shows an unprecedented increase in violent crime, the FBI has called for cash bail to be abolished. The FBI’s 2020 statistics show that the number of murders in America rose by almost 30% between 2016 and 2020. This is the highest single-year increase since the FBI started tracking this statistic.

The report included a letter last month from the Biden Administration arguing that reforms are necessary to promote equality. They also stated that America “never fully lived up” to the notion that “everyone is equal in dignity and should be treated equally.”


The letter states that the strategy outlines an ambitious agenda to help this administration and others to come – it is a roadmap to help us reach a world where all people have equal opportunities. They said it is not a moral imperative to ensure that everyone has the chance to reach their full potential regardless of gender identity. They said it is a strategic imperative.


Biden responded to the attack by saying that Waukesha’s entire community is struggling with horrific acts of violence.


Families came together at the Waukesha Christmas Parade on Sunday for the beginning of the season of Hope, but Biden added that hope is going to lift up those who have been affected by the tragedy.


Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary, stated that the White House is in close contact with local officials and will offer support and assistance if needed. She said that their hearts are with families and the whole community.