More jurors seated for Highland Park suspect’s trial, as judge issues warning to media
A second day of jury selection in the trial of the Highwood man accused of fatally shooting seven people during Highland Park’s 2022 Independence Day parade ended Tuesday with 11 jurors — six men and five women — in place.
A panel of 18, consisting of 12 jurors and six alternates, is expected to begin hearing the case at 9 a.m. Monday in the Lake County courthouse.
Robert E. Crimo III, 23, faces 21 counts of first-degree murder and dozens of other charges related to the July 4, 2022, attack that left seven dead and dozens more wounded.
Highland Park residents Katherine Goldstein, 64; Stephen Straus, 88; Jacquelyn “Jacki” Sundheim, 63; and Kevin McCarthy, 37, and his wife Irina McCarthy, 35, were killed, along with Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78, of Morelos, Mexico, and Eduardo Uvaldo, 69, of Waukegan.
The suspect has pleaded not guilty to the charges and remains incarcerated in the Lake County jail. If convicted of two or more murders, he faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
After skipping court Monday afternoon, the defendant was present Tuesday morning for jury selection. However, he once again did not return following the lunch break.
“We will proceed without him being present,” Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti said at the start of the afternoon session.
A Lake County sheriff’s deputy told the court the defendant informed him twice he would not return for the afternoon. Rossetti has admonished the defendant several times that the trial will continue despite his absence.
Authorities allege the suspect perched atop a downtown Highland Park building and fired dozens of shots from a military-style rifle into the crowd gathered for the parade.
On Monday, prosecutors dismissed 47 of the 117 charges initially filed against the suspect. All the dropped charges allege aggravated battery with a firearm.
The Tuesday afternoon session was interrupted by a stern address from Rossetti warning the media against identifying prospective jurors.
According to Rossetti, a media outlet published a detailed description of a potential juror that included information on that individual’s employment, job location and spouse’s employment. The court previously had told possible jurors - referred to in court by numbers, not names - that personal information that could identify them would not be published.
Publishing such information puts a juror’s ability to be fair and impartial at risk, said Rossetti. It also could have a chilling effect on jurors answering questions honestly, she said.
“Their willingness to serve is at risk as well,” she said, adding the behavior “will hinder the ability to select fair and impartial jurors.”
Jury selection continues Wednesday.