Brooks Gets Life In Prison Without Parole In Waukesha Parade Trial

WAUKESHA, WI — The man convicted of murdering six after prosecutors said he rammed his SUV through the 2021 Waukesha Christmas parade was handed six consecutive life sentences in prison without the possibility for parole on Wednesday.

"This community can only be safe if you are behind bars for the rest of your life," Judge Jennifer Dorow told 40-year-old Darrell Brooks.

Dorow also handed down sentences on each of the 70 other charges Brooks was convicted of amounting to hundreds of additional years worth of prison time. The court also ordered over $100,000 in restitution.

The final segment of the two-day sentencing came after numerous parade survivors on Tuesday described the lasting impacts inflicted on Nov. 21, 2021. Before Dorow handed down the sentence on Wednesday, Brooks' mother Dawn Woods, his grandmother Mary Edwards and a friend of his spoke. Brooks also gave a statement.

Dorow gave a lengthy explanation ahead of her sentencing decision, at points appearing to hold back tears when she discussed the victims and their impact statements. Dorow also spoke on Brooks' earlier attempt to plead not guilty by reason of insanity, asserting that he was competent for trial saying he had made nuanced legal arguments at times. Dorow also listed run-ins Brooks had with the criminal justice system in the past.

Before Dorow moved into the final phase of sentencing, she removed Brooks from the courtroom for interruptions and had him view the proceedings from another courtroom.

Dorow told the court that a singular word — "attack" — can sum up what happened on Nov. 21, 2021.

A jury convicted Brooks in October on six counts of first-degree intentional homicide plus seventy other charges including recklessly endangering safety and hit and run.

You can watch Dorow's final remarks in the case live via CourtTV streamed on Youtube.

Before Brooks addressed the court, Woods, his mother, said that lawmakers and society need to recognize mental illness, acknowledging that there are needs for accountability but that "we also must render hope."

"It cannot be eradicated with prison guards," Woods told the court, speaking on how mental illness needs to be treated early. Woods then recited Maya Angelou's poem "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" and likened it to the struggles felt by people with mental illness.

Brooks addressed the court for around two hours with remarks about his faith plus comments about his mental health.

"One of the victims made a comment about trying to understand why this happened," Brooks told the court in his final remarks, "that's a question I struggle with myself."

Brooks also asserted that "what happened on Nov. 21, 2021, was not an attack," saying it was not "planned" or "plotted."

Toward the end of Brooks' remarks, Dorow summarized his remarks saying that he did not have a particular opinion about how he should be sentenced but that he wanted help with mental health problems. At one point Brooks noted that the near-year he has already spent in prison should count, and later suggested the terms should be concurrent.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.