Bizarre Trial of Darrell Brooks: Outbursts and Oddities of the Waukesha Parade Attacker's Case

Summary

Law&Crime host Jesse Weber recaps the unusual trial of Darrell Brooks, who was charged with 76 counts after driving an SUV into Waukesha’s 2021 Christmas parade, killing six people and injuring dozens.

Brooks chose to represent himself after dismissing his defense lawyers. He described himself as a “sovereign citizen” and repeatedly challenged the court’s jurisdiction—arguments Weber notes had no legal basis. Brooks frequently interrupted proceedings and was sometimes moved to an adjacent courtroom, where he could still follow the trial. The judge continued to allow him to represent himself; Weber suggests she may have wanted to create a clear record that Brooks had been treated fairly.

Witnesses described the SUV striking paradegoers, and some identified Brooks as the driver. Prosecutors also played Brooks’s police interview, in which he denied driving the vehicle after investigators presented evidence. A possible motive related to an alleged altercation with his ex-girlfriend was discussed, though Weber says the motive remained unclear.

During cross-examination, Brooks suggested the driver may have been angry or that the SUV had a mechanical problem. A state inspector testified that the vehicle had no mechanical defect that would explain the incident.

Brooks continued to disrupt the trial. After the judge found that he had forfeited his opportunity to present further defense evidence, the case moved to closing arguments. The prosecution argued that Brooks’s continued driving through the parade showed intent. Brooks urged jurors to nullify the law and raised an alleged vehicle recall, but the judge told the jury to disregard those remarks because they were not proper arguments based on evidence presented at trial.

After about three hours and 15 minutes of deliberation, the jury found Brooks guilty on all 76 counts, including six counts of first-degree intentional homicide, which carry mandatory life sentences. At the time of the recap, sentencing had not yet been scheduled.

Weber closes by emphasizing that, despite the attention on Brooks’s behavior, the case’s central focus should remain on the victims and the six people killed.

Presenter: Jesse Weber