Waukesha Parade Deaths Trial

WUWM's coverage of the Darrell Brooks trial. He is the Milwaukee man accused of using his SUV to kill six people and injure dozens more at the Waukesha Christmas parade in 2021.

Prison sentence expected for Darrell Brooks in Waukesha Wednesday afternoon

WUWM 89.7 FM | By Chuck Quirmbach

Published November 16, 2022 at 9:37 AM CST

David Sorenson, wearing a sweatshirt to honor his late spouse Virginia Sorenson, reads his victim impact statement Tuesday at the Waukesha County Courthouse. Virginia Sorenson died, while performing for the Dancing Grannies group during last November's Waukesha Christmas parade.

Darrell Brooks is expected to receive his prison sentence Wednesday afternoon. Last month, a jury found the Milwaukee man guilty of 76 crimes for driving his SUV through last November's Christmas parade in Waukesha.

Six died and dozens more were injured. Tuesday at the Waukesha County Courthouse, about forty people gave victim impact statements, with many saying Brooks should get the maximum sentences for all 76 counts, including life behind bars for six charges of first-degree intentional homicide.

David Sorenson was married to Virginia Sorenson, who was fatally struck while marching with a dancing grandmothers group.

David was one of a few people who told the court that they wished Wisconsin allowed capital punishment.

"I, too, regret Wisconsin does not have the death penalty, because if someone ever deserved it, the convicted most certainly does. Life in prison is too kind," Mr. Sorenson said.

Wisconsin abolished the death penalty in 1853.

Taylor Kulich reads a victim impact statement Tuesday, honoring her late mother Jane Kulich, who was also killed during the Waukesha parade incident.

In her statement, Taylor Kulich said her life was forever changed on November 21, 2021, when her mother Jane Kulich was hit.

"The day my mom was murdered. It's still hard to believe that my mom was killed while marching in a Christmas parade," Kulich said.

Some of the others who spoke were injured in the parade incident. Jessalyn Torres was one of the kids severely hurt while performing with a youth dance group. (We're identifying the girl because she gave her name in court, and her return to dancing this year was reported in the media.)

But Torres says she lost a lot too.

"I missed over half the school year. When I got back to school, I felt uncomfortable being in a wheelchair. I felt like people were just looking and wondering. I missed out on my last days of elementary school. Time and memories, I'll never get back," Torres said.

Darrell Brooks looks at a bible that he's often brought to the courtroom, as victim impact statements were read Tuesday.

After the victim impact statements, Waukesha County District Attorney Sue Opper joined the call for maximum penalties for Brooks. He objected to her remarks leading to this exchange.

Opper: "Mr. Brooks, I'm talking."
Brooks: "I don't care about you talking."
Opper: "I don't care what you care about."
Brooks: "I know you don't."
Opper: "Sit down and be quiet. Everybody has told you that."
Brooks "Nah, nah, nah. See, you got it all wrong, Ms. Opper."

Opper then asked Judge Jennifer Dorow to order Brooks to stop.

Brooks later apologized to Dorow for his comments. The judge replied that he needs to apologize to the parade case victims.

A heavily armed law enforcement officer stands outside the Waukesha County Courthouse Tuesday morning, after the county sheriff reported the threat of a mass shooting at the courthouse had been called in. The Brooks sentencing was halted for about an hour, then resumed after trial judge Jennifer Dorow said she accepted the sheriff's promise that the courthouse was "very secure." The FBI and other agencies are investigating the threat.

Brooks and members of his family are expected to offer remarks around noon Wednesday. Dorow said she will then leave the bench to consider Brooks' sentence. After a break, Dorow will come back in to deliver her decision.