Highland Park shooting suspect’s father asks judge to toss case charging him with helping son get gun license

The father of the suspect within the lethal capturing at a Fourth of July parade in suburban Chicago final yr needs the choose within the case to drop legal fees accusing him of serving to his son get hold of a gun license earlier than the bloodbath. 

Robert Crimo Jr.’s lawyer, George Gomez, instructed the courtroom throughout a listening to in Waukegan Monday that his consumer was charged below a legislation that’s imprecise and unconstitutional.

He stated prosecutors charged Crimo Jr. for “harmless conduct” — signing “a completely truthful” affidavit serving to his son, Robert Crimo III, apply for and acquire a gun license.

Authorized consultants have stated fees towards dad and mom following mass shootings are uncommon partially as a result of the circumstances are troublesome to show. 

Crimo Jr. has pleaded not responsible to seven counts of reckless conduct, one for every individual killed. 

Every rely carries a most three-year jail time period.

Prosecutors allege the daddy aided the son in getting a gun license although he knew the then-19-year-old had beforehand threatened violence.

Per state legislation, “an individual commits reckless conduct when she or he, by any means lawful or illegal, recklessly performs an act or acts that… trigger nice bodily hurt or everlasting incapacity or disfigurement to a different individual.”

Crimo Jr.’s attorneys argued that the legislation makes it unattainable to know what actions qualify as legal conduct.

It says the legislation additionally provides no definition of “trigger,” opening the way in which for prosecutors to hyperlink the signing of a gun-license software to a capturing years later.

Lake County Choose George Strickland stated at Monday’s listening to he would situation a ruling on the subsequent listening to, on Aug. 28.

If he rejects Gomez’s arguments and permits the case to proceed, Crimo Jr.’s bench trial would begin Nov. 6. 

A grand jury indicted the son final yr on 21 first-degree homicide counts, 48 counts of tried homicide and 48 counts of aggravated battery, representing the seven individuals killed and dozens wounded within the July 4, 2022, assault.

Potential proof is voluminous within the son’s case and no trial date has been set. He has pleaded not responsible.

Lake County State’s Legal professional Eric Rinehart stated after the daddy’s arrest that the accusations towards him are primarily based on sponsorship of his son’s software for a gun license in December 2019.

Authorities say Crimo III tried to kill himself in April 2019 and in September 2019 was accused by a member of the family of creating threats to “kill everybody.”