Darrell Brooks Jr. watched as a Waukesha County Judge read out 76 guilty verdicts at the end October. He sat alone at his defense table for the entire duration ,, but he was confronted with countless victims, officers, and witnesses since the day that his fate changed.
Brooks, the man who drove his red Ford SUV through revelers at a Christmas Parade in Wisconsin with his friends, was dismissed by his court-appointed lawyers before the trial started in October. He instead chose to represent his own case.
Just weeks before, Trevor Summers, a Florida man, fired his defense lawyer during his trial for the attempted killing of his ex-wife. Instead, he chose to represent himself throughout the rest of the proceedings. He also cross-examined his ex-wife who accused him of raping and holding her hostage for several days.
Brooks and Summers are part of a select group of defendants who chose to be “prose litigants”, which means they represent themselves at trial.
DARRELL BOOOKS JR.
Brooks, 41 years old, drove his Ford Escape through a parade of people, including elderly and children, during a Nov. 21, 2021 Christmas celebration. Brooks was fleeing from the scene of an altercation with his ex.
Six counts of first-degree intentional murder were brought against him. Each of these counts carries a lifetime sentence. Prosecutors soon added many more. Brooks initially pleaded guilty but then changed to not guilty by mental illness.
The victims of the accident were Jackson Sparks (8; Tamara Durand 52; Jane Kulich 52; LeAnna Owen 71; Virginia Sorenson 79; Wilhelm 81.
Brooks stated to Fox News Digital in December that felt “dehumanized”, and was feeling “demonized”.
Jennifer Dorow, a Waukesha County judge, ruled that Brooks could waive his right of an attorney and instead choose to represent himself.
DEFENDANT DISRUPTS TRIAL: DEFENDANT DISRUPTS OUR COURT AS JURY SELECTION BEGINS AT WAUKESHA CHRISTMAS PARADE
Dawn Woods, Brooks’ mother wrote Dorow a letter before her ruling in which she stated that she was concerned about Brooks’ “mental state” over the past month. According to FOX 6, she said that she had told Brooks’ attorneys she felt “he was becoming unstable.”
DARRELL BOOOKS IN COURT
She wrote, “I am asking you to please, please don’t let him represent himself.” Later, she added: “I am asking the court recognize his unstable mental condition and rule in his best interests.”
According to the report, Dorow found no evidence that Brooks had a mental disorder. Four psychologists evaluated Brooks and found that he could defend himself and that he is intelligent, FOX 6 reported.
Brooks was erratic and argumentative during the trial with the judge, prosecutors, and even witnesses.
Dorow repeatedly dismissed him from a courtroom because he raised so many frivolous objections during the proceedings.
Brooks claimed that he was a sovereign citizen and rejected his own name.
A jury took only three hours to deliberate. On Oct. 26, a witness shouted from the gallery, “Burnin hell, you piece s —.”!”
Brooks will be sentenced in the next month.
TREVOR SUMMERS
A booking photo taken by Trevor Summers, who was convicted for the kidnapping, rape and attempted murder of Alisa Mathewson, his ex-wife. This photo shows a cut to his neck that he made himself after a failed suicide attempt. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
Summers abruptly fired his defense lawyer during his August trial at Tampa’s Hillsborough County Circuit Court.
In March 2017, the 45-year old was accused of entering his ex-wife’s home through a window and holding her captive for two days. He tied her up and sexually assaulted him during that time. Then he tried to strangle her.
Prosecutors claimed he was trying murder-suicide.
The woman survived and gave evidence, even under cross-examination by her husband.
Trevor Summers crosses-examines Alisa Mathewson in a Tampa courtroom. Summers fired his lawyer to allow him to represent himself in the case of rape and attempted killing. (Screenshot from live-streamed trial)
Summers asked the woman: “Did you threaten to have sex?”
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“You broke into my house in the middle night while I was asleep, attacked me, and tied me up. Yes, that’s correct. You threatened me with sex. She replied, “You forced me to have sexual relations with you.”
Summer asked Summer, “So, are you calling it rape?”
Trevor Summers is being tried for kidnapping and raping his ex-wife Alisa Mathewson. (Facebook)
FLORIDA MAN FELT LIABLE FOR EX-WIFE RAPE FIRES LAWYER CROSS-EXAMINES VICTIM
The distraught woman stated, “That is the definition for rape.”
The jury deliberated for less than five hours before finding Summers innocent on 11 charges, including kidnapping and attempted murder at the end August.
CONSPIRATOR ZACARIAS MOUSSAOUI
Moussaoui was the only person ever charged or convicted for the New York City terrorist attacks of 9/11.
Only a small portion of the 2006 trial saw the self-declared member of al Qaeda represent himself.
After a suspicious request by Minnesota flight school officials to teach him how to fly a Boeing 7,747, Moussaoui, NPR.com reported, Moussaoui, was arrested in August before the Sept. 11 attacks. A half-dozen conspiracy charges related to 9/11 were brought against him months later.
Zacarias Moussaoui (AP Photo/Sherburne County, Minn., Sheriff’s Office, File)
Prosecutors claimed that Moussaoui’s lies during his arrest prevented FBI agents thwarting this attack.
During 2002’s case proceedings, a judge permitted Moussaoui representation by himself.
NPR.com reported that in November 2003, the judge changed his mind and stopped Moussaoui from pursuing pro-se litigation. He had filed “inflammatory” and “unprofessional” papers.
ZACARIAS MOUSSAOUI, ONLY 9/11 TERRORIST CONVICTED IN US COURT, SAYS HE RENOUNCES TERROR, BIN LADEN
There is little evidence that Moussaoui (often referred to as the 20th hijacker) was planning on hijacking a plane on Sept. 11.
Moussaoui was sentenced to life imprisonment in federal prison, but escaped death.
TED BOUNDY
Although convicted for the murders of three women, the serial killer was charming and self-confident. He also admitted to having killed at least 30 others.
Bundy insisted on being his own lawyer during portions of his Florida trials. Bundy was first tried in 1979 for the murder of two Florida State University students. One year later, Bundy was brought to trial for the murder of Kimberly Diane Leach (12 years old).
According to the Associated Press, an investigator who was able to work with Bundy’s public defenders reported that Bundy was a former student of law and would have drank alcohol from a juice can.
Bundy’s second trial was ruled by Bundy’s judge, who later stated that Bundy “was one the most intelligent and articulate defendants I have ever seen,” according to the AP.
An Orlando federal court heard Judge Wallace Jopling say Bundy “rambled” but that he otherwise presented himself “cogently.
According to the report, Bundy was sentenced to death by Jopling in 1980. He told Bundy that he saw him as a man with great abilities.
Ted Bundy, the murderer, tried to keep in touch with John Henry Browne (his defense attorney) before he was executed. (Oxygen)
According to reports, the judge said that “you have all the abilities that a young man can expect to be able to succeed in his life.” “But, instead, you committed vile shockingly horrible crimes.”
Bundy was executed by Florida on January 24, 1989.
CHARLES MANSON
In 1969, the hippie leader of the cult was accused of leading his followers to kill nine people in four different incidents in Los Angeles.
In an alleged attempt at starting a race war, the cult known as “family” committed gruesome crimes against wealthy victims.
According to reports, Manson was granted permission to represent himself briefly at the 1970 murder trial. However, the judge later withdrew the permission.
Judge William B. Keene stated that “I’m satisfied” that you would face trial before a jury for complex charges. This was during a hearing held in California on March 6, 1970.
According to reports, Manson recently filed a 17 page motion asking for him to be called “Charlie”, that two deputy district attorneys be sent into jail and that he is allowed to travel to interview potential witnesses.
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According to reports, the judge said at the hearing that he was unable to act as his own attorney.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz and Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.
