MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee County supervisor is questioning why dozens of officers on the Brady list were able to keep their jobs.
"If we have an officer, if we have a sheriff's deputy who can't go into a courtroom with a completely clean record in any case, we're going to pay for it as taxpayers at the end of the day," Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman said.
The Brady list includes 191 current and former officers with alleged credibility concerns due to accusations of past crimes, untruthfulness, bias, or other integrity issues. That information must be disclosed to defense attorneys if a Brady list officer is called to testify.
Like many people across Milwaukee County, Wasserman wasn’t aware Brady lists existed until our reporting.
"It was completely new to me, Brady lists, no idea," he said. "When I heard about it, it kind of shocks you like, what's going on? Who are these people? And then how does it affect us as Milwaukee County residents?"
Watch: MKE Co. supervisor questions why dozens of Brady list officers got to keep jobs
Wasserman’s biggest concern centers around why several officers on the list kept their jobs despite findings of untruthfulness or integrity issues.
"It becomes a mushrooming effect where it really creates doubt in the public's mind," he said. "So the public wants clarity. The public wants a clean, transparent government, and there is nothing more sensitive when it comes to the justice system. We want sincerity, we want integrity."
Across Milwaukee County, 28 Brady list officers are still on the force, based on an analysis conducted by TMJ4, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and Wisconsin Watch.
We found 25 of them work for either the sheriff’s office or the Milwaukee Police Department. Seventeen of those officers were placed on the list for alleged integrity or untruthfulness issues.
"We want good officers that have clean records who say what they mean and do what they say," Wasserman said. "When you start talking about this gray area, maybe they shouldn't be officers, maybe they shouldn't be involved with the general public."
About two months ago, the top leaders in Milwaukee County’s criminal justice system agreed to a joint interview, where we asked MPD Chief Jeffrey Norman and Sheriff Denita Ball why dozens of officers remain on the force.
“There’s levels to this,” Chief Norman said.
"Somebody can just make a mistake, and so if that's the case, then their employment is retained,” Sheriff Ball added. “It hasn't risen enough where somebody's employment should be terminated, and so they are still on our agency."
We brought a few examples to Wasserman of officers who got to keep their jobs despite integrity violations.
A deputy made false jail log entries for inspection rounds he didn’t conduct. Two MPD officers marked down more than $1,000 worth of overtime they didn’t work. Another MPD officer allegedly lied about someone stealing his department equipment.
"This would not be allowed in my industry in medicine,” Wasserman said. “If we have officers who lie when they see their patients and lie about diagnoses, and lie, the State of Wisconsin’s examining medical board, which I’ve chaired, we take that super seriously. Doctors lose their licenses; they don’t come back to practice if they start lying on forms."
“What do you think needs to change?” Lighthouse reporter Ben Jordan asked.
"I think people have to point-blank say that I think these officers in charge have to say, ‘No more, we cut, they’re fired. Let them go,’” he said.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley’s office said in a statement that he supported the district attorney’s decision to release the full Brady list. The statement said he also believes concerns about the Brady list should be taken seriously.
If you want to see all of the current and former officers on Milwaukee County’s Brady list, our database in partnership with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Wisconsin Watch can be found below.
See all Duty to Disclose stories as they are posted here.
The Brady list is a compilation of current or former law enforcement officers deemed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office to have credibility issues. The underlying allegation can range from lying on exams to violent crimes. Just because an officer is on the list does not mean he or she was necessarily convicted or charged with a crime, or found guilty of internal misconduct. According to the office of District Attorney Kent Lovern, some cases may have resulted in an acquittal, been dismissed, or were amended to non-criminal offenses. The office says, "the database is accurate to the best of our knowledge as of February 27, 2025."
About this project
“Duty to Disclose” is a joint investigation by TMJ4, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Wisconsin Watch. The collaboration was prompted by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s decision in 2024 to release its “Brady List,” a closely-guarded list of law enforcement officers with alleged credibility issues, after pressure from the news organizations.
TMJ4 Lighthouse reporter Ben Jordan, Journal Sentinel investigative reporter Ashley Luthern and Wisconsin Watch investigative reporter Mario Koran spent four months verifying the hundreds of officers on the list, discovering that it is frequently incomplete and inconsistent.
Readers with tips about the Brady List are encouraged to contact reporter Ben Jordan at ben.jordan@tmj4.com.
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