The suspect accused of plowing his car into the Waukesha, Wisconsin, Christmas parade in November 2021, requested his case be dismissed because the victims were not present in court Thursday.
Darrell Brooks faces 77 charges after he allegedly plowed his red SUV through a crowd at the parade, killing six people and injuring dozens of others. Brooks’ charges include six counts of first-degree intentional homicide, 61 counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, six counts of hit and run involving death, two counts of bail jumping-felony and two counts of battery related to domestic abuse.
Brooks argued in a 50-minute rant that no one could make a case against him because the plaintiffs were not present in the courtroom, according to Fox 6. He claimed he has a right to face his accusers in person if he is to undergo a trial.
“Where’s the injured party? Is the injured party present in court right now? Can anyone make a claim against me?” he argued. “Can you make a claim against me, Your Honor? Do you know of anyone who can make a claim against me, Your Honor? Can anyone right now in court, anyone, make a claim against me? And because of that, Your Honor, the motion to dismiss should be granted, based on that alone. There’s no injured party in this matter, so who makes the claim?”
Waukesha massacre suspect Darrell Brooks is asking for his case to be dismissed because the victims are not present in court. pic.twitter.com/rmERQDZ1NK
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) October 13, 2022
Brooks claimed his Sixth Amendment right had been “discarded,” given that the witnesses did not appear in court, according to Fox 6. He reportedly filed several requests to see the three complaints against him in the case. (RELATED: Waukesha Parade Suspect Only Says One Word During Court Appearance)
“There’s so many clear biases and questions that are not being asked based on judicial determinations made by your Honor,” Brooks, according to Fox 6. “At minimum, I deserve for the subject matter jurisdiction to be verified and proven. I’ve raised that issue many times, pretty much every day. My filings have been disregarded. I haven’t gotten written copies of any of them.”
“I’m still not even understanding the nature and cause of the charges,” Brooks reportedly continued. “How can the proceedings continue when there are so many things that haven’t been provided?”
“I’m without so much information, valid information to this matter, and I believe that it should be verified and it should be proven for the record, and if not, I move for this case to be dismissed,” he said, according to the outlet.
The judge reportedly told Brooks to communicate directly with the clerk regarding the matter.
Brooks filed a motion requesting to represent himself in the trial, which began Oct. 3. Judge Jennifer Dorow, who is presiding over the case, granted Brooks’ motion in late September after requesting his initial defense attorneys inform him about the matter.