Highland Park massacre suspect reverses course, requests public defenders after briefly representing himself

The Highland Park parade shooting suspect asked a judge Friday to reappoint the assistant public defenders he dismissed three weeks ago, the latest twist in the high-profile case set to go to trial in late February.

Robert Crimo III ditched his lawyers in mid-December and accelerated his case by requesting a speedy trial. Crimo’s assistant public defenders had been preparing to go to trial in 2025.

Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti set the trial for Feb. 26. She did not address or amend that date during the two-minute hearing Friday.

The judge opened the hearing by asking Crimo if he still wished to represent himself, given that she had “admonished [him] a couple times regarding that.”

The 23-year-old responded, “With that consideration, I’m requesting to reappoint the Lake County public defenders.”

The judge accepted his request.

Crimo faces 117 felony counts after prosecutors said he fired an assault rifle from atop a Highland Park rooftop during the town’s Fourth of July parade in 2022. Seven people died and 48 others were injured.

Since Crimo dropped his lawyers, the Lake County state’s attorney’s office has filed a flurry of motions seeking to prevent Crimo from calling witnesses, since he hasn’t named any, and to prevent him from mentioning several topics at trial.

The motions, which Rossetti hasn’t addressed, seek to prevent Crimo from speaking at trial about his possible sentence, media reports, interrogation techniques used by police, and cases that involved overturned convictions.

The judge had set a Friday deadline for motions and seemed prepared to hear arguments on them. Crimo’s request for his former lawyers put that on hold.

Crimo is set to appear in court again on Wednesday, when Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said he expects a discussion about the trial date. In a statement, he declined to comment on Crimo’s legal representation.

Crimo’s assistant public defenders did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Crimo is being held at Lake County Jail, where the judge removed his internet and tablet privileges in mid-December. A spokesman for the state’s attorney’s office said it requested the judge remove those privileges after Crimo tried to disclose private information about at least one prosecutor.

Crimo’s mother, Denise Pesina, and father, Robert Crimo Jr., sat behind him in the gallery. Crimo Jr. recently completed a 60-day jail sentence after pleading guilty to misdemeanor reckless conduct for signing his underaged son’s gun ownership card application, despite knowing his son’s previous homicidal and suicidal statements.

He reported to jail in November wearing a T-shirt reading, “I’m a political pawn,” earning him a rebuke from the judge who threatened him with contempt of court if he broke court rules again. Crimo Jr., who recently filed for bankruptcy, declined to comment after the hearing.