Wisconsin jury finds Darrell Brooks Jr. guilty of six charges of intentional first-degree killing.
In a trial involving the deaths of six people and the injuries of many more, Darrell Brooks, a 40-year-old Milwaukee resident accused of ramming a Ford Escape SUV through a Christmas parade in nearby Waukesha last year, was found guilty of six counts of intentional first-degree homicide and numerous other charges, Wisconsin’s equivalent of murder.
Before the jury was called, Brooks raised a number of challenges regarding “subject matter jurisdiction.” The jury was invited to return by Judge Jennifer Dorow. Dorow claimed that Brooks made several requests for documents, which were acknowledged and rejected.
The verdict was reached following a 23-day trial during which the self-represented defendant was repeatedly dismissed from the courtroom for disruptive behaviour.
He questioned the veracity of the witnesses testifying, made pointless objections, and at one point launched into a 50-minute tirade in which he claimed that the court was biassed and that he had not been able to “meet his accuser.”
Jackson Sparks, 8, Tamara Durand, 52, Jane Kulich, 52, LeAnna Owen, 71, Virginia Sorenson, 79, and Wilhelm, 81 were the paradegoers who Brooks killed on November 21, 2021.
Before Dorow came to the jury’s verdict on the third murder charge, someone yelled from the gallery, “Burn in hell you piece of s—-.” He was asked to leave the room by the judge.
Dorow read over all of the jury’s verdicts in about a half-hour. She then thanked the jury, excused them, and announced convictions on each of the 76 counts.
She requested that both parties estimate the amount of time they would require to submit their sentencing arguments before setting a scheduling hearing for Monday at 1 p.m. CT. Sentence would be handed down later, she said. A mandatory life sentence in prison awaits Brooks.
After the hearing, Lara Yeretsian, a defence attorney from California, told Fox News Digital, “No surprise here. Brooks must have realised this trial would not go well for him, unless he was insane.
The jury began deliberations on Tuesday evening and requested a number of exhibits, including the map that shows where the victims and police officers were when the attack occurred, a photo of Brooks’ ex-girlfriend Erika Patterson, and surveillance footage that reveals Milwaukee Dancing Grannies members being struck by the SUV in the attack.
Brooks disagreed. He was overruled by Judge Dorow.
At 8 p.m. CT, the jury adjourned for the evening; they returned Wednesday morning.
Sue Opper, the district attorney for Waukesha, Wisconsin, stated in her closing remarks on Monday that Brooks had shown a “utter contempt for human life” and that “overwhelming evidence” had been presented at the trial that supported a conviction.
If he had just stopped driving, “not one person had to be hurt that day,” she added.
In his final argument, Brooks pleaded with the jurors to find him innocent.
The truth about your rights and obligations as a member of the jury is something I think you haven’t been told, he said. “the reality that you, and you alone, are in a position of power, not well-prepared DAs with carefully crafted speeches, exhibits, and a lot of showmanship. To be honest, not the judge. You alone possess the power. What is true and what is not are decisions that you and you alone make.”
On a 50-page rap sheet, Brooks has a history of criminal activity dating back to 1999, including convictions for domestic violence, child sex crimes, drugs, and more.
In Nevada, he is listed as a sexual offender. In 2003 and 2005, he was found guilty of obstructing an officer. His second felony marijuana charge was in 2002. He was charged with felony strangling in 2010 after reportedly striking a woman during a dispute about phone calls. He entered a no contest plea. He entered a guilty plea in 2012 to minor drug and bond jumping charges. He had already admitted guilt to counts of felony marijuana possession and resisted arrest.
However, a Milwaukee judge released him on $1,000 only days prior to the assault after he was accused of running over the mother of his child with the same SUV during a domestic quarrel. He was out on bail for shooting an illegal firearm during a fight with his nephew at the same time he was facing those charges. In the instance, no injuries were indicated.
