No ‘Secret Evidence’ In Bob Crimo Trial: Judge Denies Request To Seal Son's Interrogation

WAUKEGAN, IL —The Lake County judge set to decide the fate of Robert "Bob" Crimo Jr., father of the man charged with shooting more than 50 people, seven fatally, at last year's Highland Park 4th of July parade, held a final pretrial hearing Friday morning.

Bob Crimo faces seven counts of reckless conduct stemming from his decision to sign an affidavit on Dec. 16, 2019, enabling his then-19-year-old son, Robert "Bobby" Crimo III, to apply for a firearm owner's identification, or FOID, card from Illinois State Police before he turned 21.

Prosecutors argue that this action was a contributing factor in the massacre more than two and a half years later. His son, now 23, is awaiting trial on 117 felony counts, with a hearing next month expected to determine when it will begin.

At the final hearing ahead of Bob Crimo's trial, Associate Judge George Strickland declined a request from an attorney for Crimo's son to keep sealed the portions of his July 4 and July 5, 2022, interrogation tape that are due to be introduced during next week's trial to protect the accused mass shooter's right to an impartial jury.

Assistant Public Defender Greg Ticsay argued that allowing the public to see any portion of the evidence against Robert "Bobby" Crimo III would "impact" his Sixth Amendment rights, which grant citizens the right to a speedy trial with an impartial jury. He suggested the interrogation tape should only be viewed by the judge behind closed doors.

Since Bob Crimo has waived his right to a jury and opted for a bench trial, Strickland will be the finder of fact in the trial, which is scheduled to begin Monday. Prosecutors said they plan to call 10 witnesses over the first three days.

"This evidence would need to be sealed during the pendency of this case," Ticsay said. "It's not just the media, the public could get their hands on this."

Strickland rejected that argument, suggesting he would then be asked to rule on secret and sealed evidence.

"I will not allow there to be what I consider to be secret evidence," Strickland said. "That's simply what it is. We can call it something different, but that's what it is. It is evidence."

Instead of playing video or audio from Bobby Crimo's seven-and-a-half-hour interrogation in court during his father's trial, Strickland said he would allow transcripts of the relevant portions to be included for the record.

The judge has yet to make a final decision regarding testimony from one of Bob Crimo's other sons and his therapist, although Strickland said that, because the mental health of the son is "squarely an issue," it could be necessary to order them to testify.

Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said the accused shooter's younger brother told his therapist about safety concerns.

"Sam Crimo heard homicidal, violent statements and suicidal statements from Bobby Crimo III, the alleged shooter in the Highland Park parade," Rinehart said.

That therapist then notified Highland Park police, the prosecutor told the judge.

"You will hear evidence, your honor, that the Highland Park Police Department makes wellbeing checks at the house where Bobby Crimo III lives and makes contact with the defendant, Robert Crimo Jr.," Rinehart said. "That is important evidence for us in the charges that we have brought."

In one instance, prosecutors say police confiscated knives, a dagger and a sword from the Crimo home after Bobby Crimo threatened to "kill everyone." In another, he was reported to have attempted suicide. Despite these incidents, his father completed the FOID card affidavit, which prosecutors say showed a reckless disregard for the potential consequences. Prosecutors intend to introduce text message conversations they say will show Bob Crimo knew his son's mental state.

Another prosecution witness scheduled to testify is one of Bobby Crimo's former counselors at a Christian-based outreach group who contacted detectives after last year's shooting. He is expected to testify that he heard the then-Highland Park High School freshman discuss a school shooting and alerted his father, Bob, but the teen's father dismissed it.

George Gomez, the attorney for Bob Crimo in the reckless conduct case, had previously attempted to have the charges dismissed, arguing that the indictment had been filed after the statute of limitations had expired and that the law under which the alleged shooter's father is charged is unconstitutionally vague.

Strickland denied these motions, finding the timing of the charges to be within legal limits and the law sufficiently clear.

A single video camera and a single photographer will be allowed inside the courtroom during next week's trial, though some of the witnesses have opted to not have their faces included in the broadcast.

The charges against Bob Crimo, a former deli owner and one-time mayoral candidate, is a rare example of a parent of an accused mass shooter indicted in connection with their children's alleged violent acts.

It follows the charges of James and Jennifer Crumbley, who each face four counts of involuntary manslaughter. Their son, Ethan, pleaded guilty to a 2021 school shooting in Oxford, Michigan and is due to be sentenced next month. They are due to go to trial in January.