State Assembly Approves Constitutional Amendment for Higher Bail Amounts

Wednesday, February 16th, 2022 -- 9:04 AM

(Bob Hague, WRN) The state Assembly has approved a constitutional amendment that would allow higher bail amounts for some criminal defendants.

The amendment passed on a 70-21 bipartisan vote Tuesday. Judges could consider the danger a defendant might pose to the public when setting bail, or forgo bail and keep someone in jail.

Darrell Brooks, the man accused in the deaths of six people and the injuries of dozens more in the Waukesha Christmas Parade, was out on a thousand dollars bail for a domestic violence arrest, an amount later deemed “inappropriately low.”

The amendment would have to pass two sessions of the legislature and a statewide vote before going into effect.

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