YouTube Darrell Brooks and Judge Jennifer Dorow discuss the juror Reddit controversy.
A mysterious post on Reddit from a person claiming to be a juror in the trial of Darrell Brooks, who is accused of driving into and killing six people in a 2021 parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, was discussed in court October 25.
The post, on a subreddit called “Justice4Darrell,” has since been deleted. Heavy obtained screenshots before the post was deleted. They appear in this article.
“I am a member of the jury on this case,” the post read. “Here are my thoughts on the trial and on this subreddit.” The writer called the trial, presided over by Waukesha County Circuit Judge Jennifer Dorow, a “kangaroo court” and raised concerns about whether Brooks was getting a fair trial. Though it’s not clear whether the poster is actually a juror in the trial, a moderator on the subreddit has claimed, “The user has submitted proof that he is a juror on the case.”
The Reddit post was later edited to read: “This was all a prank, I didn’t think this would blow up like this. We are sorry. Love, rdrama.”
Brooks has been representing himself in his trial on allegations that he drove into people at the Waukesha Christmas parade in November 2021, killing six and wounding many more. Jurors deliberated for two hours on October 25, 2022, before breaking for the night without a verdict.
Here’s what you need to know:
Judge Jennifer Dorow Announced That Law Enforcement Was Investigating the Reddit Post
Judge Dorow said she received an email with a screenshot of the Reddit post. “The anonymous post claimed to be a member of the jury in the case…”
Dorow turned the matter over to law enforcement “for a full investigation.” She made a determination not to stop the trial and to go ahead with the jury instructions and closing arguments. “I am concerned about the integrity of these proceedings,” she said. Read more about the judge here.
Dorow said there was “no credible information that this is in fact a member of the jury, but I will leave that for law enforcement to determine.”
When the jury reaches a verdict, she will consider whether questioning of any jurors is warranted, Dorow said.
Brooks asked Dorow, “What is this? … Was this just found about this morning?” Dorow said the Clerk of Court received the email on October 25, 2022.
Waukesha County District Attorney Susan Opper said the DA’s office had also received emails about the post. She noted that the post was mostly in support of Brooks, and she said it referred to things that are “not true.” Thus, she said there was no evidence that, even if it was a juror, the poster harbors prejudice against Brooks. She questioned the “veracity” of the post.
Brooks stated for the record that he had “no involvement in this” and expressed shock it “came to light.” He added, “These are definitely things talked about in the court.” He said he believed it came from someone who was in the court or a jury member. “There is no other way.” But Opper countered that the trial was streamed worldwide on YouTube.
The Reddit Post Went Into Detail About the Writer’s Concerns About Whether Darrell Brooks Is Getting a Fair Trial
Reddit Gallery: 2/3
The Reddit post is lengthy.
“So, to start with, I obviously shouldn’t be here. I’m not allowed to look stuff up about this trial (or really have any connection with the Internet, but nobody actually follows sequestering rules anyway.) Hence, I am obviously posting anonymously. I accidentally wandered into here a few days ago…” it reads.
The post continues,
First off, I think it’s pretty obvious due to chain of custody that the defendant is in fact Mr. Brooks and he did do it. HOWEVER, I’ve had throughout this trial doubts about various aspects of this case.
1. The judge is very clearly biased against Mr. Brooks. I got that feeling from when we were in the room and my eyes have been opened to how she acted towards him when the jury was out of the room. Clearly she is not an impartial judge and has been trying to belittle, demean, bully and pull procedural tricks on him fairly frequently. I had my doubts already, but the subreddit has shown it to me clearly.
2. Mr. Brooks has clearly not been given the chance to plead his case in court. He has been silenced and mocked at almost every turn. While he may be a bit loud or crass at times, I still believe his side deserves to be heard.
3. I do have significant doubts about subject matter jurisdiction. I didn’t understand it when discussed in court because the defendant was repeatedly silenced. But I do understand now thanks to this sub and I agree that subject matter jurisdiction is a great concern here.
4. This subreddit has made me aware of jury nullification, and I am very grateful for that. Overall, I am not sure what I will decide. I’m not educated in law and I have to admit I’m biased against the defendant for the horrible acts he did. However, it is also clear that this trial is a complete kangaroo court. Mr. Brooks has not been allowed to try and prove his innocence, subject matter jurisdiction or explain the circumstances surrounding the events (it’s hard to imagine what could justify it but we just can’t know because of this trial.)
For these reasons, I’m torn between locking him up and throwing away the key or nullification. Both have arguments for an against them, and I’m not looking forward to choosing. I’m mostly writing this to help myself process my thoughts on this, but please let me know what you think.
What is jury nullification? “In its strictest sense, jury nullification occurs when a jury returns a Not Guilty verdict even though jurors believe beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant has broken the law,” explains the Fully Informed Jury Association.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 16 people heard the case. All are white. Ten are men.
There are also online discussions about subject matter jurisdiction, which Brooks has brought up in court.
READ NEXT: Judge Jennifer Dorow’s Background