MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN: Milwaukee woke DA who has fought for low bail levels has come under fire from the parents who lost their son to a driver going 109 mph when he crashed into a tree. On October 5, Danari Peer, 20, was killed while sitting in the passenger seat of a friend's car.
Jai'Quann McMurtry was driving the car while he was reportedly out on bail for three felonies linked to cocaine and gun possession for which he had only been given a $1,000 signature bond and a $500 cash bond. Democrat District Attorney John T Chisholm's inadequate bail practices are to blame for the death of their son, according to Nicole Byrd and Jackie Peer, as per Daily Mail.
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Chisholm was chosen as the district attorney for Milwaukee County in 2007. Throughout his tenure, he reportedly has continuously advocated for reduced cash bonds for criminals, a policy that is similar to the ones believed to be responsible for the rise in crime in areas like New York and Portland. Darrell Brooks, the murderer of the Waukesha parade, was one prominent case. He was a convicted felon with a history of domestic violence cases who had been imprisoned for driving over the mother of his children only days before being set free after running over and killing six people at a parade in Wisconsin city last November. In connection with the collision and death of Danari Peer, McMurtry has been charged with second-degree reckless homicide, cocaine possession, driving without a license, and three charges of felony bail jumping.
When McMurty entered a not-guilty plea in Milwaukee County Court on Thursday, he was seen using crutches and a wheelchair. The $50,000 bail issued was still deemed insufficient by Peer's parents. Jackie Peer, Danari's father, stated, "Within two years, he accumulated six felonies and was still allowed to be on the street." His mother, Nicole Byrd, added, "We are fighting for the catch-and-release to be eliminated. This is not just justice for our son. This is for Milwaukee, for our community," as cited by Daily Mail. They think the county needs to take action and are urging the Brooks victims to join them "when they feel up to it."
Although neither Milwaukee nor the state has ever properly dealt with cash bonds, prosecutors in the district attorney's office support lesser amounts, reported the news outlet. "Is there going to be an individual I divert, or I put into treatment program, who's going to go out and kill somebody? Chisholm asked the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 2007. "You bet. Guaranteed. It's guaranteed to happen. It does not invalidate the overall approach."
Chisholm's prophecy came true last year when Darrell Brooks, the Waukesha parade killer, was discovered to have been granted two bails this year despite having a lengthy criminal history dating back to 1999. After an alleged hit-and-run incident involving his girlfriend earlier this month, Brooks, 39, was freed on a $1,000 bond, but Chisholm later admitted that Brooks shouldn't have been.
Speaking to ABC7, Jackie Peer remembers his son and said, "I miss my son. That was everything to me. He was so goofy; he had a huge smile." He added, "We're not going away. This is something we feel we need to continue on to honor Danari and help other families." Peer told WISN, "I miss his smile. I miss sitting in the back talking to him, late at night. Just missing his growth as a person, you know. Seeing the different stages and now not being able to see what was coming next for him. I just miss my son." The mother added as she sobs in the interview, "Every day I usually tell him, 'I love you, Pooh,' or say, 'Pooh I love you,' but I just can't remember if I said that to him."
