Darrell Brooks found guilty in Waukesha Christmas Parade attacks - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

WAUKESHA - Almost a twelvemonth aft a devastating onslaught connected a hallowed metropolis tradition, a assemblage convicted Darrell Brooks Jr. of killing six radical and injuring dozens of others by driving done the 2021 Christmas parade.

After being sequestered Tuesday nighttime aft astir 90 minutes of deliberations, the assemblage announced it had verdicts aboriginal Wednesday. Judge Jennifer Dorow began speechmaking them soon earlier 11 a.m., opening with the first-degree intentional homicide counts. It took her astir 25 minutes to work the blameworthy verdicts connected each 76 charges.

Outside of the courtroom, radical wearing bluish Waukesha Strong sweatshirts had gathered up of the verdicts announcements, heads bowed successful soundless prayer.

Brooks, 40, who had represented himself astatine trial, didn't respond overmuch arsenic the verdicts were read. He mostly enactment his caput successful his folded hands, with his elbows connected the table.

When she was finished speechmaking the verdicts, Dorow thanked and excused the jury, past acceptable a Monday proceeding to sermon erstwhile to docket sentencing. She said she would let victims who privation to marque interaction statements via Zoom to usage that technology.

Dorow granted District Attorney Sue Opper's petition for judgments connected the verdicts. Asked if helium had immoderate motions, Brooks asked, "What's judgments?"

Six radical died and astatine slightest different 61 others were injured erstwhile a reddish Ford Escape SUV driven by Brooks tore done the vacation parade proceedings connected Nov. 21, 2021. The onslaught near successful its aftermath what constabulary called a "chaotic" ambiance arsenic authorities and others scrambled to assistance victims implicit a four-block agelong portion besides searching for the driver.

Brooks' proceedings represented the extremity of a agelong ineligible process that included melodramatic shifts, opening with charges filed 2 days aft the parade and continuing with pretrial hearings conscionable days earlier the trial. The four-week agelong proceedings was replete with disruptions and delays from Brooks, who decided conscionable days earlier the proceedings began that helium would correspond himself.

Four-week proceedings was often chaotic

The trial, which began Oct. 3, was ne'er a creaseless process, often breaking down into arguments betwixt Brooks and Waukesha County Circuit Judge Jennifer Dorow.

Much of the disagreements stemmed from Brooks' determination to waive his close to an lawyer and correspond himself, which Dorow had warned successful beforehand of the proceedings that helium would bash "at (his) ain peril," noting helium would person to abide by unfamiliar laws and tribunal processes.

But the tussles were besides tied to Brooks' repeated attempts to contiguous himself arsenic a "sovereign" citizen, which Dorow and prosecutors repeatedly called a "thoroughly debunked" mentation successful which defendants situation the jurisdiction of the courts. Even aft Dorow issued a written ruling connected the court's jurisdiction, Brooks continued to inquire for "proof" of jurisdiction.

As a effect of the sometimes heated arguments with Brooks, Dorow connected respective occasions removed him to an adjacent courtroom, usually to let her to decorativeness stating her findings for the grounds without interruption. Dorow said today's exertion afforded her an enactment to person him enactment remotely without violating his close to beryllium contiguous during proceedings.

It's chartless if that's 1 of the contented Brooks volition bring guardant connected appeal.

Charges changed implicit time

Brooks was charged with six counts of first-degree intentional homicide, 61 counts of recklessly endangering safety, six counts of hit-and-run causing death, 2 counts of bail jumping, each felonies successful transportation to the parade tragedy, and 1 number of misdemeanor battery.

But those charges didn't travel each astatine once. Initially, Brooks faced 5 homicide counts, with a sixth added pursuing the decease of 8-year-old Jackson Sparks of Mukwonago respective days aft the parade. The charges ballooned successful mid January, erstwhile the 61 reckless endangerment charges were added. At 1 point, helium faced 83 charges.

Six charges were eliminated successful pretrial proceedings aft Dorow concurred Brooks could not beryllium charged with some intentional homicide arsenic good arsenic homicide by conveyance portion nether the power of a controlled substance.

Another number was dismissed by prosecutors, who explained successful tribunal that 1 of the 2 home unit charges involving his ex-girlfriend mightiness not basal owed to nary overt motion of carnal injury.

That near 76 charges, each of which the assemblage was asked to see individually during their deliberations.

Effects felt astir 1 twelvemonth later

Much has changed since the 2021 parade.

One large accommodation was the implementation of assertive information measures designed to support immoderate unauthorized vehicles retired of aboriginal parades. Most of that was accomplished with portable barriers designed to teardrop up the underside of immoderate conveyance driving done them. Also, constabulary present routinely make a perimeter that is cleared of vehicles up of immoderate event.

The 2022 Waukesha Christmas parade volition beryllium held 2 weeks later, a program which is expected to proceed each year, according to metropolis officials. The date, the archetypal Sunday successful December, successful portion volition accommodate constabulary and different captious staff, who volition nary longer person to conflict with Thanksgiving week vacation schedules that tin marque an exigency responses much difficult.

In 2023, the metropolis besides expects two memorials — 1 on Main Street astatine the Five Points intersection and the different successful Grede Park disconnected Wisconsin Avenue adjacent to extremity of the parade way — to grant and retrieve those stricken successful the parade.

Contact Jim Riccioli astatine (262) 446-6635 or james.riccioli@jrn.com. Follow him connected Twitter at @jariccioli.