As Andy Williams sings to me every December, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” Nothing beats the holiday season. Who doesn’t love Christmas music, lights, decorations, cookies, drinks, and gifts? I know I do. So do the citizens of Waukesha, Wisconsin, who were just enjoying their holiday parade on November 23, 2021. Almost one year later, on November 16, 2022, the trial of Darell Brooks Jr. has concluded, and a sentence of almost 700 consecutive years in prison has been awarded.
I woke up early one morning before my classes, shocking, I know, and my roommate is sitting at the kitchen table with her eyes buried in her phone.
“Alyssa, what the heck are you watching so intently? It’s literally 8 AM?” She was so enthralled. The sound of my voice made her jump a little.
“Oh, just this trial that I’ve been keeping up with for the past week. It’s absolutely insane.”
She asked me if I remembered last Christmas when some guy drove his car through a Christmas parade in Wisconsin. I did remember it; I just completely forgot until she reminded me.
Darrell Brooks Jr. was charged with 6 counts of intentional homicide for that November day. Originally, Brooks was represented by a law team whose primary defense was insanity. Brooks decided as the trial began to dismiss his attorneys and represent himself with no legal training. Maybe it was an attempt to prove how insane he really is. Brooks’ mother and grandmother delivered testimony on his behalf, claiming he suffers from bipolar disorder and other mental health issues. They said the court should show him some empathy and compassion. I’m sure the judge cared about that testimony considering the defendant no longer pleaded that he was insane.
The Waukesha County judge, Jennifer Dorow, had Brooks removed from the court on multiple occasions for his continuous outbursts and interruptions. It sure sounds like he should’ve stayed with the insanity plea, but I digress. He was put in a separate courtroom and was allowed to video in, the equivalent of a time-out in court. Now they can just mute him when he tries to interrupt. Not only did he interrupt, he fell asleep at the defense table and argued with the bailiff. It’s some strategy he has, claim you’re not insane, but act like a crazy person hosting a circus in the courtroom. It’s sure to prevent you from getting sentenced to life.
Brooks claimed to be a man of God and had a Bible on the defense table during the entire trial. I don’t know if anyone told him, but the 6th Commandment is “Thou shalt not kill.” All my other religious friends learned the 10 Commandments in elementary school, but maybe that’s just them. I know God would forgive serial murder as long as you keep the Bible next to you.
I watched the end of the trial with my roommate. We sat there in silence, tears pooling in our eyes as the families of the six victims spoke. One of the victim’s mothers said that her son blames himself every day for the death of his younger brother. The judge said, “It is not your fault Tucker. It is Mr. Brooks’ fault.” A young girl spoke about how her mother was one of the victims, and she has never felt so much pain or so alone in her life. I don’t think I could function as a human if this happened to any of my family members.
The jury made their decision: six consecutive life sentences. The judge spoke about the ruling, saying there is no medicine or cure for a heart bent on evil. Mr. Brooks may have been abused as a child, but he knows the difference between right and wrong and chose to ignore his conscience.
The judge is right. There is no treatment for evil hearts. It has been almost one year since this tragic event, yet violence and hate are at the forefront almost every day in America. This is what it is like to live in America in the 2020s: crying at a live stream as insane and evil people claim to be sane and moral people.
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