A grand jury has indicted the daddy of a person charged with fatally taking pictures seven folks at a Fourth of July parade.
Robert E Crimo Jr, father of Robert Crimo III, waits for court docket to start earlier than Judge George D Strickland on the Lake County, Ill, Courthouse. (Photo: AP)
By Associated Press: An Illinois grand jury on Wednesday formally indicted the daddy of a person charged with fatally taking pictures seven folks at a Fourth of July parade in suburban Chicago, the Lake County State’s Attorney Office mentioned.
The indictment fees Robert Crimo Jr., 58, with seven counts of reckless conduct. Prosecutors have mentioned he helped his son, Robert Crimo III, acquire a gun license years earlier than the taking pictures in Highland Park, although the then-19-year-old had threatened violence.
Sara Avalos, a spokesperson for the prosecutors workplace, confirmed the grand jury indictment and mentioned the daddy shall be arraigned Thursday.
Robert Crimo Jr. was arrested in December, additionally on seven felony counts of reckless conduct, one for every particular person killed. Each depend carries a most 3-year jail time period. The longtime resident and well-known determine in Highland Park was launched after his arrest on a $50,000 bond.
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At a short listening to final month, prosecutors had informed Judge George Strickland at a Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan, north of Highland Park, they wanted extra time to current proof to the grand jury.
In a short assertion launched by his workplace later Wednesday, Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart mentioned the grand jury agreed the case towards the daddy ought to transfer ahead.
“Parents who help their kids get weapons of war are morally and legally responsible when those kids hurt others with those weapons,” Rinehart mentioned.
George M. Gomez, the daddy’s Chicago-area lawyer, mentioned Wednesday night that he couldn’t remark as a result of he hadn’t but seen the indictment. But he earlier known as the accusations towards his consumer “baseless and unprecedented.”
Rinehart has beforehand mentioned the accusations towards the daddy are primarily based on his sponsorship of his son’s software for a gun license in December 2019. Authorities say Robert Crimo III tried suicide by machete in April 2019 and in September 2019 was accused by a member of the family of creating threats to “kill everyone.”
“Parents and guardians are in the best position to decide whether their teenagers should have a weapon,” Rinehart mentioned after the daddy’s arrest. “In this case, the system failed when Robert Crimo Jr. sponsored his son. He knew what he knew and he signed the form anyway.”
Authorities say Illinois State Police reviewed the son’s gun license software and located no purpose to disclaim it as a result of he had no arrests, no felony report, no severe psychological well being issues, no orders of safety and no different conduct that will disqualify him.
Legal specialists have mentioned it’s uncommon for an accused shooter’s father or mother or guardian to face fees — partly as a result of it’s troublesome to show such fees.
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In one notable exception, a Michigan prosecutor in 2021 filed involuntary manslaughter fees towards the dad and mom of a teen accused of fatally taking pictures 4 college students at his highschool. A trial date was delayed whereas the state appeals court docket considers an attraction.
A grand jury indicted Robert Crimo III in July on 21 first-degree homicide counts, 48 counts of tried homicide and 48 counts of aggravated battery, representing the seven folks killed and dozens wounded within the assault on the vacation parade in Highland Park.
Robert Crimo Jr. has proven up at a number of of his son’s pretrial hearings, nodding in greeting when his son entered the courtroom shackled and flanked by guards. The father is a well-known face round Highland Park, the place he was as soon as a mayoral candidate and operated comfort shops.
Published On:
Feb 16, 2023