Robert Crimo Jr.
, the Illinois father who allegedly assisted his son in obtaining a firearm license three years prior to a deadly mass shooting, is set to face trial.
This follows a judge's decision on Monday to reject a motion to dismiss the case against him. The shooting, which occurred during a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park in 2022, resulted in seven fatalities.
Earlier this month, Crimo Jr.'s attorney contended that his client was charged under an unconstitutionally vague law by Illinois prosecutors, as reported by the Associated Press. However, Lake County Judge George Strickland dismissed this argument, along with the defense's claim that the charges were filed too late, beyond a three-year statute of limitations. Consequently, Crimo Jr.'s trial, scheduled for November 6, will proceed as planned.
Crimo Jr. pleaded not guilty to seven counts of reckless conduct earlier this year, with each count corresponding to a person killed in the shooting. If convicted, he could face a maximum of three years in prison for each count. Prosecutors allege that Crimo Jr. facilitated his son, Robert Crimo III, in acquiring a gun license, despite the then-19-year-old's violent threats.
The state law under which Crimo Jr. was charged states that "a person commits reckless conduct when he or she, by any means lawful or unlawful, recklessly performs an act or acts that ... cause great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement to another person." The defense has argued that the law's ambiguity makes it impossible to determine what actions constitute criminal reckless conduct. They also contend that the law does not define "cause," potentially allowing prosecutors to erroneously connect the signing of a gun license application to a shooting that occurred years later.
The Associated Press quoted the defense's filing, which stated, "Here, the reckless conduct charge ... specifically seeks to criminalize the Defendants lawful act of signing a truthful affidavit," adding that "Illinois has never prosecuted an individual for signing a truthful affidavit under oath." However, Judge Strickland countered that the law, which is structured similarly to many other constitutional laws, restricts reckless conduct to actions that result in significant bodily harm.
In 2022, an Illinois grand jury indicted Crimo III on 117 counts related to the tragedy, including 21 counts of first-degree murder, with three counts for each deceased victim. Crimo III also faces 48 counts each of attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm, for each victim hit by a bullet, bullet fragment, or shrapnel, according to Illinois State's Attorney Eric Rinehart's office. A total of 47 victims were named during the arraignment in August 2022.
Login