Darrell Brooks, 40, faces 77 charges after driving a maroon SUV during a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wis., last November.
Mark Hoffman / AP
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Mark Hoffman / AP
Darrell Brooks, 40, faces 77 charges after driving a maroon SUV during a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wis., last November.
Mark Hoffman / AP
Last November, a suspect driving a maroon SUV into a crowd every year Waukesha Christmas Parade in Wisconsin, kill six. Darrell Brooks, 40, has been charged with being the driver and the face 77 crimes. He will represent himself at his trial, with jury choice scheduled to start on Monday.
Brooks was charged six counts of willful first-degree murder and six times make one stroke–and–running causes death, based on court documents. He also faces two counts of jumping off a building and 67 count first–degree of recklessness endangering safety with a dangerous weapon.
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Defendant asked to represent himself
Waukesha County Judge Jennifer Dorow accepted Brooks’ request to waive his rights to the attorney last Wednesday, NPR member station Wisconsin Public Radio reported.
According to WPR:
Dorow also said she believes Brooks is mentally competent to represent herself. Dorow also confirmed that the test start date will not be rescheduled.
Before being removed from the case, Brooks’ former attorney, Jeremy Perri, said he explained the allegations in more than 25 meetings. However, Brooks said he did not understand the allegations, but knew about them.
In addition, public defenders will not be allowed to represent Brooks on standby, should he change his mind during the trial, court documents said.
Brooks originally begged not guilty by mental illness or disability in June, but withdrew his plea in early September.
Brooks also faces domestic abuse charges
Waukesha Sheriff Daniel Thompson said last year that the police missed an opportunity to stop Brooks right before he crashes his SUV into the marchers.
Thompson told reporters last November: “The suspect before the incident was involved in a domestic disturbance, minutes earlier. “And the suspect left that scene just before we got to that domestic disturbance.”
Brooks allegedly confronted a woman outside a motel before the parade, driving away after he shoved the phone out of her hand. Law enforcement said Brooks returned to the scene, punched her in the face and then drove over in his car.
Brooks has been charged with two counts of domestic abuse, one misdemeanor Class A, accompanied by a maximum fine of $10,000 and not more than nine months in prison.
According to court documents, the trial will last until October 28.
