Chief Judge says Milw. Co. GPS monitoring system is over capacity

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- FOX6 News has learned Milwaukee County's GPS monitoring system is over capacity. As it stands, judges in Milwaukee County have the option of making GPS monitoring a condition of bail -- but right now, there is a hold up.

The GPS monitoring system issue came to light earlier this week when 38-year-old Kris Zocco posted a $25,000 bail at the Milwaukee County Jail and could not be released because no GPS monitoring devices were available to be sent out with him -- and the Chief Judge says that has been the case for weeks.

After posting the $25,000 bail, Zocco appeared in court, still an inmate of the Milwaukee County Jail. At that time, the GPS monitoring requirement was lifted, and Zocco's bond was raised to $75,000. Zocco's bond was later raised to $250,000 during a separate court appearance.

Zocco's attorney says this is the first time the GPS requirement has prevented one of his clients from being released.

"I think it's fundamentally unfair. If somebody posts the bail and there's a condition they can't fulfill, then it's tantamount to no bond," Zocco's attorney, Michael Levine said.

Chief Judge Jeffrey Kremers says Milwaukee County is over-budget when it comes to GPS devices. Kremers shut down new admissions to the program a few weeks ago.

"There are no GPS units available to us because we are over capacity. We have a capacity of 62 is what's budgeted and we're running about 77 people on it, so we're already about 15 people over capacity right now," Kremers said.

Kremers says most defendants will stay on GPS monitoring for four to six months. The court uses the devices in cases where it seems likely the defendant will not come back to court -- or commit a new offense. Each GPS device costs about $10 per day, per unit -- and then there is the additional cost of case managers and supervisors.

As for Zocco, at this time, he remains jailed in two separate cases -- on child porn and drug related charges that came to light during the investigation into the disappearance of 27-year-old Kelly Dwyer.

Dwyer has been missing for 20 days. She was reportedly last seen on Thursday, October 10th on the city's East Side.

According to Dwyer's mother, Zocco says Dwyer left his East Side apartment on Friday morning, October 11th.

Dwyer's whereabouts remain unknown.