Accused Illinois parade shooter no longer defending himself in court

Robert Crimo III, charged with shooting & killing 7 people at a 4th of July parade in Highland Park Illinois, will no longer represent himself at his trial

WAUKEGAN, Ill. — The man accused of killing seven people by firing an assault rifle into the crowd at a Fourth of July parade in a Chicago suburb has reversed his decision to represent himself in court.

Robert E. Crimo III, 23, asked the judge on Friday to reappoint a public defender to represent him, the latest curveball in his court proceedings. At his last court appearance in December, he requested to represent himself without providing any explanation.

On Friday, Crimo appeared at the Lake County Courthouse wearing a red jail shirt and a mask, his hair pulled back in a ponytail and hands chained together. His parents were in court observing the proceedings, which lasted less than five minutes, sitting directly behind the defense table.

The hearing took place on the last day of the deadline to file motions in his case. At the opening of court, Judge Victoria Rossetti asked Crimo if he still wished to represent himself and he replied, “With thorough consideration, I am requesting to reappoint the Lake County public defenders.”

Crimo's first act after motioning to represent himself was to invoke his right to a speedy trial, prompting the judge to move the trial start date up by a year, from February 2025 to next month.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/robert-e-crimo-iii-appoint-public-defender-rcna132547

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