In a Lake County courtroom in Waukegan, Illinois, Robert E. Crimo III, the man accused of firing an assault rifle into crowds during a July Fourth parade last year, appeared wearing a red shirt and red handcuffs. Crimo, who is facing 117 charges, including 21 counts of first-degree murder, 48 counts of attempted murder, and 48 counts of aggravated battery, informed the court that he plans to represent himself at his upcoming trial. Judge Victoria Rossetti made it clear that Crimo would be responsible for filing all of his own motions and would not receive any special treatment in jail for representing himself.

During the hearing, the judge extensively questioned Crimo, who stated that his highest level of education is high school. Rossetti ensured that he understood the potential consequences of consecutive life sentences if he is convicted. Despite having no legal training, Crimo affirmed that he had experience in court "as an observer" but had never taken any law classes or performed any legal actions such as picking a jury, questioning potential jurors, or drafting opening and closing arguments. The public defenders who previously represented Crimo declined to comment on his decision to represent himself.

The trial is scheduled to begin on February 26, and Judge Rossetti expects it to last four to six weeks due to the number of witnesses and extensive amounts of evidence. Jury selection is estimated to take seven to ten days. Originally, the judge recommended a trial start in February 2025, but the date was changed after Crimo invoked his constitutional right to a speedy trial. The deadline for motions is set for January 5, and Crimo's next court appearance is scheduled for January 10 at 11 a.m. CT.

Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart released a statement affirming that the prosecutors have been working tirelessly on the case since the July 4, 2022 shooting and will be ready for trial. However, he declined to comment on Crimo's choice to represent himself.

Following the shooting, prosecutors stated that Crimo confessed in detail to the attack and revealed that he had considered carrying out a second attack in Wisconsin. In November, his father, Robert Crimo Jr., pled guilty to seven counts of misdemeanor reckless conduct. Authorities revealed that Crimo Jr. had sponsored his son's Firearm Owners Identification application, enabling him to purchase the AR-15 style weapon used in the shooting. Crimo Jr. began serving his 60-day jail sentence on November 16, wearing a shirt that said, "I am a political pawn.".