Crime & Safety
Sentencing For Darrell Brooks Begins Tuesday With Victim Statements
The man convicted in the 2021 Waukesha Christmas parade will hear dozens of victim impact statements before he is sentenced this week.
WAUKESHA, WI — The man convicted of killing six in the 2021 Waukesha Christmas parade will hear dozens of victims' descriptions of how they were impacted by his acts when sentencing begins Tuesday before facing multiple mandatory life terms in prison.
Darrell Brooks' sentencing is scheduled to last until Wednesday, online court records showed. Six people were killed when Brooks rammed an SUV through the parade crowd, among them an 8-year-old, and dozens more were injured, prosecutors said.
A jury found Brooks guilty of 76 charges in total, including six first-degree intentional homicide charges and dozens of recklessly endangering safety charges. Each homicide charge carries a life sentence.
Find out what's happening in Waukeshafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
At least 36 people were expected to give a statement to the court and even more have asked for a statement to be read into the record at sentencing, Waukesha County Deputy District Attorney Lesli S. Boese during a hearing after Brooks was convicted. In Wisconsin, victims of crime have the right to give an impact statement about the economic, physical and psychological effects of the crime at sentencing.
More recently, the number of victim impact statements has grown to around 45, according to a report by TMJ4. About nine of those people are under 18, the TMJ4 story noted citing a report from Waukesha District Attorney Susan Opper.
Find out what's happening in Waukeshafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Defendant Brooks has also submitted a list of people to the court who are set to speak at the sentencing hearing, online court records showed.
Boese had noted a sentiment for sentencing to happen before the Nov. 21 anniversary of the tragedy.
A community ceremony is planned on the 1-year anniversary of the attack at the Les Paul Performance Center in Culter Park starting at 4:39 p.m. with remarks from the mayor and other authorities. Community members afterward are encouraged to light their properties in blue.
SEE ALSO: Waukesha Looks Ahead To Healing After Guilty Verdict In Parade Trial
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
