Crimo Jr. reckless conduct trial to begin Nov. 6
Robert Crimo Jr., father of the man charged in the 2022 Fourth of July parade shooting in Highland Park, will go on trial before a Lake County judge on Nov. 6.
Crimo Jr. is facing seven counts of reckless conduct, one for each person killed in the shooting. Prosecutors said Crimo Jr. broke the law when he helped his then 19-year-old son apply for a FOID card in 2019 despite the son's troubled past.
At a Friday morning hearing, Judge George Strickland, who previously expressed an interest in getting the trial completed before the end of the year, encouraged attorneys to put the trial date down on their calendars in pen.
Strickland also allowed some Township High School District 113 records about Crimo Jr.'s son to be given to prosecutors.
Assistant State's Attorney Jeff Facklam argued the records would be relevant to the case if they showed school officials notified Crimo Jr. about any behavioral issues his son might have had at school.
Anton Trizna, a public defender representing shooting suspect Robert Crimo III, told Strickland his client did not consent to the release of his school records.
Strickland has not yet ruled on whether prosecutors can use the school records at the trial.
In another development Friday, Crimo Jr. opted for a bench trial, which means instead of a jury, Strickland will determine whether he is guilty.
Attorney George Gomez said his client chose a bench trial because the case is more of a legal issue as opposed to a question of facts.
"We believe this is more an issue of what statute he's being tried for," Gomez told reporters after the hearing.
Gomez filed a motion to dismiss the case, which will be discussed and possibly ruled on by Strickland on Aug. 7.
If convicted on any of the counts, Crimo Jr. could be sentenced to up to three years in prison or receive probation.
In August, Crimo Jr.'s son pleaded not guilty to the 117 criminal charges against him. Officials allege he opened fire from a rooftop at spectators on the streets below, killing seven people and injuring more than 50 others, both by gunfire and in the rush for safety.