WAUKESHA, Wis. — The Darrell Brooks trial begins Monday at 8:30 a.m. with jury selection. Four weeks have been set aside for the trial, according to the court calendar.
What You Need To Know
- The Darrell Brooks trial begins Monday, Oct. 3 at 8:30 a.m. with jury selection. The full trial is expected to last four weeks
- He faces 77 charges for allegedly killing six people and injuring more than 60 others after driving his SUV through the Waukesha Christmas parade in Nov. 2021
- Brooks will represent himself in the trial after waiving his right to have his attorneys represent him
- Brooks will enter the trial with a plea of not guilty
And on Sunday, the streets of downtown Waukesha were crowded with residents enjoying a sunny fall afternoon. To someone passing through the quaint streets, it might seem like a community that has all but healed from tragedy.
But a closer look will show windows adorned with “Waukesha Strong” posters. Quick conversations will show that the pain inflicted last November is still lingering.
“We are hurting, we are angry, we are sad, we are confused,” said Waukesha Board of Education’s Amanda Medina Roddy last winter.
Brooks is set to face 77 charges in the trial starting Monday. He allegedly killed six people and injured more than 60 others after driving his SUV through the Waukesha Christmas parade in Nov. 2021.
He originally pleaded not guilty to these charges in February. Then, last June, Brooks changed that plea to not guilty by reason of mental disease and defect. The plea was then changed for a third time in September, with Brooks withdrawing his not guilty by insanity plea.
In August, public defenders sought to have the case against Brooks dismissed in Waukesha County Circuit Court altogether, claiming that a July 1 search of his jail cell violated Brooks’ attorney-client privilege.
But Judge Jennifer Dorow rejected the motion and refused to dismiss the case.
Now, Brooks will represent himself in the case after waiving his right to have attorneys Jeremy Perri and Anna Kees represent him.
Dorow granted that request last Wednesday, dismissing Perri and Kees. Dorow found Brooks to be mentally competent despite suffering from a personality disorder.
The court clarified that Brooks cannot flip flop if he regrets this decision and that he may have trouble understanding the rules of legal proceedings. The University of Wisconsin Law School professor John Gross said this may cause the trial to run longer than if Brooks had kept his attorneys.
What happened last November is still fresh in everyone’s minds.
Brooks was fleeing the scene of a domestic disturbance when he turned into the 2021 Waukesha Christmas parade, police said.
Witnesses said that he was swerving and appeared to be intentionally trying to hit people when he entered the parade. A criminal complaint said that after driving through the crowd, Brooks went to a nearby house and asked the homeowner to call him a ride.
Police arrested him minutes later.
Now, Brooks stands trial for the Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy.
Waukesha residents expressed little interest in watching the trial but were very excited at the thought of Brooks spending the rest of his life in prison.
The trial is expected to be heavily televised, and if you or someone you know is having trouble coping during the next four weeks, there are resources available to those in need.
The United Resilience Center offers mental health and community violence resources to those in need; starting Monday, Oct. 3 at 9 a.m., you can call 262-522-0243.