MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

AOC slammed for tone deaf tweet calling for lower bail in aftermath of Waukesha tragedy

AOC's tweet on lowering bail for poor defendants labelled 'tone-deaf' as Darrell Brooks was released on low bail amount 5 days before Waukesha tragedy

New York Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) was slammed for her tone-deaf tweet, which advocated against imposing excessive bail amounts for low-income defendants on Monday, November 22, a day after suspect Darrell Brooks plowed through a Christmas parade at Waukesha, Wisconsin, killing 5 and leaving 48 people dead. 

"Today, we sent a letter w/ @RepMaloney & @RepRaskin to NYC's 5 District Attorneys requesting information on excessive bail in the NYC court system. When prosecutors seek excessive cash bail, it results in increased rates of incarceration — particularly for low-income defendants," AOC tweeted, along with a photo of the letter. 

READ MORE

Met Gala 2021: AOC slammed for 'TAX THE RICH' gown at $35k-a-ticket event

AOC wore $450 earrings and $614 shoes to complete 'Tax the Rich' look at Met Gala

Brooks released on reduced bail before Waukesha tragedy

Darrell Brooks Jr, 39, the Waukesha Christmas parade suspect, had been released with no charges from police custody five days before the tragedy, according to WISN 12. Jail records showed that Brooks was booked into the Waukesha County Jail on November 16 and released the same day. According to the source, Waukesha County deputies picked up Brooks from the Milwaukee County Jail earlier that day. He was accused of running over the mother of his child with a vehicle in a gas station parking lot on November 2. He posted $1,000 cash bail on November 11 in the case. 

When Brooks faced a judge November 5, prosecutors recommended $1,000 cash bond. Based on the type of charges that he was facing, which included second-degree recklessly endangering safety with domestic abuse assessments, disorderly conduct with domestic abuse assessments and felony bail jumping, Milwaukee County District Attorney John T Chisholm said the recommendation was "inappropriately low."

"The bail recommendation 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," Chisholm said in the statement. Chisholm said his office is conducting an internal review of the decision to make the bail recommendation. 

'This tweet could not be more tone deaf'

As a result, AOC's tweet about lowering bail for low-income defendants outraged a number of people. "This is your first tweet you decided to put out after what just happened in Waukesha?! An entire community was just affected by a violent criminal released from jail on an  'Inappropriately low' bail and this is seriously the cause you wanted to tweet out today!" one of the people wrote, while another said, "This tweet could not be more tone deaf or irresponsible. This is wrong." A third commented, "Less than 24 hours after the tragic event that took place in Waukesha and people are literally being burned alive in your state, you want to focus on lowering the cost of bail? Wow."

One more stated, "Interesting. If the prosecutors in Waukesha had maintained a decent bail system, quite a few people wouldn’t have been killed yesterday. Your timing on this is, as usual, AWFUL." A commenter tweeted, "The people of Waukesha would like a word." A person reacted with, "TBF she probably isn't aware of what just happened n WI and that the guy was able to kill and injure all those people because of bail reform since the media lost interest in the story as soon as they learned the demographics of the murderer." The next remarked, "Today is not the day to be taking the side of violent offenders on bail."