Wisconsin Parade Attack Suspect Breaks Down In Court As Interruption-Filled Trial Moves Forward

Topline

Darrell Brooks—who has been charged with killing six people after driving through a Christmas parade in Wisconsin last November—made an emotional opening statement in court Thursday afternoon, forcing an already-bizarre trial into recess after two weeks of interruptions and other unusual outbursts of courtroom behavior.

Key Facts

Brooks, who is representing himself in the trial, made his opening statement after prosecutors rested their case, and admitted the events at last year’s parade in the suburban city of Waukesha, Wisconsin, were “tragic” before breaking down into tears, saying, “I feel now is the time—it’s important that [members of the jury] see me for who I am”—although he added, “There’s always two sides to every story.”

Brooks, 40, pleaded not guilty and faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted, as he was charged with 6 counts of first-degree homicide, 61 counts of recklessly endangering safety, 6 counts of fatal hit-and-run, 2 counts of bail jumping and a single count of misdemeanor battery.

In a strange move during the trial, which began earlier this month, Brooks declared himself a “sovereign citizen,” in an attempt to skirt the legal system and exempt himself from trial by suggesting he isn’t subject to U.S. law, an idea that is part of a wider movement based on conspiracy theories.

As a result, Brooks has refused to be called by his name in court throughout the two-week trial, and he’s repeatedly interrupted and argued with Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Dorow, who threatened to remove him from the courtroom when chief of crime scene response Chris Johnson testified on a report he wrote regarding paperwork allegedly found inside Brooks’ car, of which Brooks argued he had not been made aware.

He has also questioned whether the jury can examine the SUV he is believed to have driven without first receiving his consent—a request that wasn’t upheld.

Brooks has made multiple unsuccessful attempts to delay his trial, launching into an hour-long speech last week requesting the trial be dismissed and claiming he did not understand the charges brought against him.

Key Background

The six people killed at the Waukesha parade last year included an 8-year-old child, and another 62 people were injured. Local police said Brooks was the lone suspect last November, quickly ruling out terrorism as a motive and alleging he didn’t know any of the people he barreled his SUV into during last November’s horrifying attack. Prosecutors claim he drove through a barricade into the parade in a Ford Escort traveling at 40 mph, spotting the event after he had assaulted his girlfriend and was rushing away. At least one police officer shot at the vehicle in an attempt to slow it down or stop it. He was later apprehended by the police after fleeing the scene. He initially pleaded guilty by reason of insanity but pulled his plea last month, firing his attorneys and changing his plea to simply “not guilty.”

Tangent

The sovereign citizen movement has been criticized as “pseudo-legal nonsense” by prosecutors in several recent cases. Supporters of the movement often cite bizarre interpretations of the Constitution or legal precedent, and according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the belief is based on the conspiracy theory that the Constitution was secretly replaced with admiralty law, which governs international commerce, while judges are covert foreign agents. Wisconsin attorney Julius Kim told local TV station CBS 58 the argument is a stab at ignoring U.S. laws altogether in an effort to avoid being considered within a court’s jurisdiction. Sovereign citizens have drawn law enforcement’s attention in the past: A group of men who engaged in a standoff with police on a Massachusetts highway last year declared themselves a sovereign nation. Southern Poverty Law Center research analyst Freddy Cruz told Boston NPR station WBUR the declarations try to refuse the authority of the U.S. government, as well as its licenses and tax requirements.

Further Reading

Day 13 of the Waukesha Christmas Parade attack trial: Jurors view infamous SUV, Brooks says Dorow can’t ‘tell him what to do’ (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Day 14 of the Waukesha Christmas Parade attack trial: State rests its case, Brooks to present his defense (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Waukesha Parade Attack: Darrell Brooks To Be Charged With Homicide, Named As Suspect (Forbes)