Darrell Brooks sentencing: Judge's decision after Brooks, supporters speak - FOX 6 Milwaukee

By FOX6 News Digital Team

WAUKESHA, Wis. - Darrell Brooks and those who are speaking connected his behalf are expected to marque their statements successful Waukesha County tribunal connected Wednesday, Nov. 16 – pursuing Brooks' condemnation connected charges tied to the Waukesha Christmas parade attack successful November 2021. 

To statesman the day, the prosecution squad noted determination was 1 much unfortunate witnesser connection that was requested to beryllium made by the granddaughter of Virginia Sorenson. Her connection connected Tuesday had been interrupted by the clearing of the tribunal owed to a menace made astatine the courthouse. The tribunal agreed to let that young miss talk – and that connection was work successful tribunal erstwhile again.

When asked, Brooks indicated to the tribunal that 4 radical would beryllium speaking connected his behalf – each via Zoom. 

Dawn Woods, Brooks' mother, spoke first. She started by speaking astir intelligence unwellness – that it impacts everyone. Woods called it the "dirty small concealed successful families that they don't privation to speech about."

Woods past work to the tribunal the poem, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," written by Maya Angelou. Woods told Judge Dorow she hoped it would supply immoderate inspiration to her son. 

Woods finished by speaking to the families of the victims of the Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy.

"To the families who mislaid loved ones and those who suffered injuries, that I cognize their pain. And I commune that the Lord volition proceed to comfortableness and heal each of them," Woods said.

Brooks' grandmother, Mary Edwards, spoke adjacent connected Darrell's behalf. 

"I privation to connection my sincere apologies to those hurt," Edwards said. "It is my anticipation my grandson volition apologize and inquire God for forgiveness."

Michelle Allworth, a longtime person of Brooks spoke next. She called Brooks her champion person – having known him for 17 years. 

"He shared with maine aggregate times however remorseful helium genuinely is," Allworth said.

Brooks' connection to the court

It was astir 12:35 p.m. that Brooks himself was allowed to talk to the court. He began by lasting up earlier the court, looking up, and quoting scripture.

"A batch of references were made to 1 of the things I said astir my consciousness being clear. Having clip to deliberation astir it past night, the victims person the close to consciousness however they privation to feel.  They person the close to their opinions -- tons of choler and emotions," Brooks said. "I don’t privation that remark to beryllium taken retired of context; I made the determination to rededicate my beingness to Christ erstwhile this calamity happened."

Brooks had been taking notes during the unfortunate statements that were made Tuesday.

"One of the victims made a remark astir trying to recognize wherefore this happened. That’s a question I conflict with myself. The why, the how," Brooks said. "How tin beingness ever get this acold distant from what it should be?  Regardless of what a batch of radical whitethorn deliberation astir maine - astir who I am, family, beliefs, I cognize who I am.  God knows who I am."

Brooks told the tribunal helium does not person immoderate words of anger.

"I had to look wrong myself and recognize wherefore the comments were made," Brooks said. 

Brooks referred to the surgical disguise helium has been wearing passim the proceedings proceedings. He told the tribunal it had thing to bash with hiding anything. 

"When you are connected TV each day, erstwhile your beingness is being dissected, and your household is connected TV and societal media platforms, what is determination to fell from?" Brooks said.

Brooks past referenced each of the victims of the Waukesha Christmas parade – arsenic good arsenic the radical of Waukesha. 

"Not lone americium I atrocious for what happened, I'm atrocious that you could not spot what is genuinely successful my heart," Brooks said. "With respect to however I’m viewed, I volition not respond to those comments successful choler either. I privation to besides accidental that, it is not maine that tin instrumentality immoderate symptom away, regenerate what was lost, springiness backmost joy, happiness - truthful galore different things mislaid that day."

Brooks talked astir vexation helium said helium felt during his trial. 

"I’ve go frustrated astatine times. I privation you, Judge Dorow, to cognize that careless to what you mightiness deliberation astir those incidents, they were not personal. Being here, passim this year, the changeless learning however to woody with everything, take everything in, what you see, hear, things being shouted astatine you -- the threats and everything you person to woody with conscionable being here. It was a culmination," Brooks said. "There was a portion of maine that felt I haven’t been capable to support myself. I deliberation it was conscionable the cookware boiling over."

Brooks told the tribunal that radical are going to judge what they privation – and that's OK. 

"This needs to beryllium said. What happened connected November 21, 2021 was not, not, not an attack. It was not, not planned, plotted," Brooks said. "This was not an attack. This was not an intentional act. No substance however galore times you accidental it implicit and over, it was not."

Brooks told the tribunal helium primitively planned to onslaught Waukesha County District Attorney Sue Opper during this statement. But helium chose not to bash truthful aft considering the idea.

"You said 31 years you’ve done this. 31 years. Hmm. I don’t judge you are that bright. Yet, I respect you having the resoluteness to instrumentality connected thing of this magnitude for this community. Can’t bash thing but respect that," Brooks said.

Brooks made notation to receiving letters and notes from astir the world. He said helium has received letters from Germany and Belgium. Many of those letters spewed hatred for Brooks' actions, helium said. But determination were besides letters of support.

"The radical who person sent letters of support, I convey you for that, it’s not an casual happening to nonstop to the astir hated antheral connected earth. I convey you for that. My household acknowledgment you for that," Brooks said.

Brooks besides made peculiar enactment of recognizing Erika Patterson, the parent of his daughter. 

"I privation you to cognize I volition ever person emotion for you. I garbage to spell that route. I ever person emotion for you. Always respect you. We person a beauteous daughter. I haven’t ever been close successful regards to you," Brooks said.

Brooks besides spoke emotionally of his daughter.

"She’s astir apt the single-handed crushed wherefore I’m inactive breathing. Such a light, specified a light. She doesn’t adjacent recognize what is going on, to beryllium capable to speech to maine erstwhile she wants to, spot maine - she doesn’t get it. I cognize that," Brooks said.

Brooks mentioned determination had been a batch of references to decease during Tuesday's unfortunate statements. He stated helium does not fearfulness decease – and is assured of his destiny successful the afterlife. 

"I’m a cardinal percent assured wherever I’m going erstwhile this is over. I’m a cardinal percent assured wherever I’m going," Brooks said. "I’m a quality being. I’m not a monster. I’m a quality being trying to fig retired for 35 years questions I ne'er got the reply to."

Brooks said helium listened to each the victims who had the courageousness to talk connected Tuesday.

"I apologize for not showing radical what they wanted to see. I inquire that determination beryllium knowing to…that determination is simply a broadside of the courtroom that's not seen," Brooks said. "There's not an time oregon hr that goes by that I haven't thought astir what's happened. That I haven't tried to wrapper my caput astir however thing similar this could person happened. Where I haven't thought astir the symptom that you each are in. What was mislaid and the manner that it was lost."

Brooks mentioned – helium volition bash what helium tin to property guardant and commune for the assemblage of Waukesha.

"As hard arsenic it is, you can't crook backmost the hands of time. As overmuch arsenic I privation I had the powerfulness to bash that, I can’t. I person to look astatine beingness going forward, not backward," Brooks said. "I’ve moved past the existent calamity of November 21, 2021. But I person not moved past uplifting this assemblage successful prayer. The victims and families. I volition proceed to commune for them. That’s what I privation my bosom to reflect."

Late successful Brooks' connection to the court, Judge Dorow asked Brooks what the tribunal should bash astir the sentences.

"Honestly, your Honor, I don’t privation this to beryllium taken retired of discourse -- I judge that determination are issues with maine attempting to reply that," Brooks said. "I’m inactive confused connected the existent quality and origin of the charges. I don’t recognize them. I besides judge the determination was already made earlier we adjacent got here. I could beryllium wrong, that’s not a flimsy oregon changeable towards your Honor."

When pressed again for however the justice should woody with the sentencing of Brooks, helium paused earlier answering.

"I deliberation I should beryllium capable to spell determination wherever I tin beryllium helped and beryllium decently helped and medicated," Brooks said. "You person radical who cognize precisely what to do. Exactly what needs to beryllium done and should beryllium done. To beryllium capable to decently beryllium medicated. It’s highly needed."

FOX6 News volition update this station arsenic caller statements oregon accusation is provided.

Victim interaction statements connected Tuesday

On Tuesday, 45 victims and survivors shared almighty idiosyncratic accounts of however the onslaught impacted them successful the archetypal of 2 sentencing hearings for Brooks. The statements from the dozens of victims and household members was packed with emotion. 

"You person the audacity to accidental your conscience is clear. That is wherefore you perceive the word monster; demon," said Chris Owen, lad of Lee Owen. "I cognize wherefore you did this. You did this due to the fact that you weren't successful a cage…All I tin inquire is that you rot, and you rot slow."

"You stated you are a God-loving man. You are not. A existent antheral would person stopped and asked for forgiveness – axenic evil and not fooling anyone," said Donald Tiegs, begetter of Erick who was injured with the Waukesha South Marching Band.

"Every holiday, determination volition ever beryllium an bare seat wherever Jackson should be…It hurts to respire sometimes…I'm emotionally and physically exhausted," said Sheri Sparks, parent of Jackson and Tucker. She finished by adding, "Jackson the different victims merit closure."

"Now, I privation you to usage your imaginativeness a small bit," said David Sorenson, widower of Virginia Sorenson. "When it thunders, I ideate that Jackson is blasting a location tally implicit the fence. When determination is simply a rainbow, I volition ideate the Dancing Grannies -- Ginny, Tammy, Lee and Bill -- with them dancing on its lines. When determination is simply a ray of sunshine poking done the clouds, I volition ideate it is Jane smiling down connected us. When it snows, similar it did this morning, I volition ideate God's emotion giving america a broad successful comfort. When I spot a bluish light, I spot this community's committedness to assistance heal and enactment each other. "

"The terror, the horror, the pain, the fearfulness that you’ve caused to truthful galore individuals, and everyone has their ain unsocial way for healing. I anticipation that you volition get sentenced to what you deserve," said Dylan Yourell, begetter of Xtreme Dance Team victim.

Waukesha County D.A. Sue Opper's statement

Following the victims' statements to the court, Waukesha County District Attorney Sue Opper spoke to the court. She began by rattling disconnected Brooks' extended transgression record. 

"This antheral has a past and a signifier of engaging successful violence, and it was nary antithetic connected Nov. 21, 2021," Opper said. "I’m not going to walk a batch of clip talking astir the attack, and I take to telephone it an onslaught alternatively of referring to it arsenic the parade. There’s thing incorrect with the parade. The parade is good. The parade is the embodiment of the community."

Opper went connected to archer Judge Dorow Brooks' actions were acts of a coward.

"Very fewer of the victims who were struck had immoderate thought this car was barrelling down connected them," Opper said. "They had nary mode to cognize it was coming, and helium mowed implicit them, ran them implicit without immoderate quality to support themselves. What is truthful violative astir this conduct, your Honor, is, obviously, the convulsive quality of it, but adjacent much so, the defendant’s behaviour and behaviour successful this court, his implicit deficiency of decorum and respect for the court."

Opper stated successful tribunal Brooks takes vantage of everyone.

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"He’s highly manipulative. He perfectly thinks he’s successful power of everything, erstwhile successful fact, arsenic helium sits present successful custody, he’s successful power of nothing," Opper said.

Final judgment

After Brooks and his witnesses person had a accidental to speak, Judge Dorow volition manus down her condemnation and explicate her reasoning tied to the charges. In the end, Brooks faces the consecutive six beingness sentences positive 859 years successful prison.

The assemblage recovered Brooks blameworthy of six counts of first-degree intentional homicide. Each number carries a mandatory beingness condemnation successful Wisconsin. Judge Dorow has discretion implicit the different 70 counts -- a determination that volition travel Wednesday.