No Delay For Darrell Brooks Jr.'s Trial, Judge Rules: Reports

WAUKESHA, WI — A Waukesha County judge denied lawyers' requests to delay Darrell Brooks Jr.'s trial on Monday, according to multiple reports.

Brooks was charged with 83 criminal counts, including six counts of first-degree intentional homicide and 60 counts of recklessly endangering safety, court records showed. He's accused of driving his SUV through a crowd of paradegoers at the Waukesha Christmas parade on November 21.

Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Dorow denied the motion, and Brooks will likely appear in court on Oct. 3. Dorow said she was balancing the interests of Brooks, the state, the court and victims of the parade disaster, The Waukesha Freeman reported.

Lawyers wanted Brooks' trial delayed so they could review a "mountain of evidence" gathered from that day, WISN-12 reported.

Attorney Jeremy Perri, who is defending Brooks, said it was "not realistic" for the defense to be prepared for the early October trial, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

At the hearing, several witnesses and people connected to parade victims spoke about their experience and urged the judge to preserve the date.

"The six killed didn't have a choice of how much time they had left on this Earth," a witness said at the hearing on Monday. "The 60 injured didn't have a choice of how much time they had to enjoy the quality of life they may never regain."

In a letter, Brooks told his mother he didn't feel safe in jail, Fox 6 Reported. Defending lawyers argued the publicity around Brooks and the parade incident could affect the court's ability to give him a fair trial.

See Also: Lawyers Want Darrell Brooks Jr. Tried Outside Waukesha: Reports