MILWAUKEE — The race for the Wisconsin Attorney General hits deeper for a Milwaukee family that is dealing with the loss of their mother.
Keasha Walker says her mother died because the man who killed her was out on low bail. The issue of bail has repeatedly come up in the race after the man accused in the Waukesha Christmas parade attack was also given a low bail.
Keasha says her mother Cynthia Walker was loved by her family. She was a mother to three, a grandmother to seven, and a victim of domestic violence.
“Why? Why did you have to shoot her? She was harmless,” asked Keasha. “He decided in the end that he didn’t want her to be around her family.”
Her mother’s boyfriend, Allen Grant, is now charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder. Court records show on July 8, Grant was accused of killing Cynthia on her daughter’s front porch. About half an hour earlier, Grant was at his home and shot and killed his former neighbor.
Grant was out on bail from a previous case of fleeing to elude and felon in possession of a firearm. He was originally given a cash bond of $10,000 in March. Then in April, the bond was lowered to a $1,000 cash bond, which Grant posted.
“I feel like the justice system is failing us,” said Walker.
The issue of low bail has become one of the major talking points in the race for the Wisconsin Attorney General primary. Two of the Republican candidates say they will make it a priority.
“What I said we needed to do is bring back that Constitutional Amendment from I think 2017, to change the Wisconsin Constitution to make sure judges must consider the dangerousness of a criminal when setting bail,” said Eric Toney, Republican Candidate for Attorney General.
“There's two specific things, so one, again I would work with the legislature to have mandatory minimum bail set for violent career offenders and two I would bring transparency and accountability to the system,” said Adam Jarchow, Republican candidate for Attorney General.
The two will also face Karen Mueller in the Primary on Aug. 9. TMJ4 News reached out to Karen Mueller but she did not respond to our request for an interview or a statement.
Both Toney and Jarchow say there is no simple fix to offenders that get low bail. Toney points to the fact he is the Fond Du Lac County District Attorney so he knows how cases are prosecuted and can go after different issues within the justice system, so judges have to set higher bails.
While Jarchow points to his history in the state legislature as the key to fixing the problem. He says he knows how to get laws passed and he will be able to get the support to get changes through.
However, Keasha hopes it happens before another family becomes a victim of the bail system.
“They do senseless stuff and they’re right back on the street. So, do I think he should have been out? No. But it is not really up to us,” said Keasha.
The Republican who wins in the primary will then face Democrat Attorney General Josh Kaul in the General Election in November.
