WAUKEGAN, Ill. — The man accused of firing an assault rifle into crowds at a July Fourth parade in suburban Chicago last year, killing seven people, said Monday that he plans to represent himself at his trial, which is set to start in February.
Robert E. Crimo III, wearing a red shirt and red handcuffs, appeared in a Lake County courtroom, but did not explain why he wants to represent himself. He is facing 117 charges, including 21 counts of first-degree murder, 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery, in connection with the shooting in Highland Park.
Judge Victoria Rossetti made it clear that Crimo, 23, would be responsible for filing all of his own motions and would not be getting any special treatment in jail for representing himself.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
WAUKEGAN, Ill. — The man accused of firing an assault rifle into crowds at a July Fourth parade in suburban Chicago last year, killing seven people, said Monday that he plans to represent himself at his trial, which is set to start in February.
Judge Victoria Rossetti made it clear that Crimo, 23, would be responsible for filing all of his own motions and would not be getting any special treatment in jail for representing himself.
Rossetti extensively questioned Crimo, who said his highest education level is high school, to ensure that he understood the potential consequences of consecutive life sentences if he is convicted.
Rosetti said because of the number of witnesses and extensive amounts of evidence, it is expected to last four to six weeks, with jury selection taking seven to 10 days.
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart released a statement Monday, saying that “the prosecutors on this case have been working tirelessly since July 4, 2022, and will be ready for trial on the set date.” He added they had no comment on Crimo’s choice of legal representation.
In November, his father, Robert Crimo Jr., pled guilty to seven counts of misdemeanor reckless conduct after authorities said he sponsored his son’s Firearm Owners Identification application, which allowed him to buy the AR-15 style weapon used in the shooting.
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