BREAKING: Darrell Brooks given 6 consecutive life sentences for Waukesha Christmas Parade massacre

On Wednesday, Judge Jennifer Dorow sentenced Darrell Brooks, who was found guilty in October of charges that include six counts of first-degree intentional homicide, to six life sentences, to be served consecutively without the possibility or eligibility for extended supervision.

Additionally, Brooks was sentenced to 17 and a half years for each of the 61 counts of reckless endangerment, 25 years for each of the six counts of hit and run, six years of two counts of bail jumping, and nine months for one count of battery, all to be served consecutively. 

Following the sentencing, Dorow said, "to order anything other than what I have done, sir, would be to unduly depreciate the seriousness of these offenses. It is needed, although largely symbolic given the number of years that I have imposed here today, because frankly, you deserve it."

Brooks was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $47,193,29 to EMC Insurance Company on behalf of the Waukesha School District and $124,220.65 to the Crime Victim Compensation program, among other fees and surcharges.

The sentencing, coming nearly a year since Brooks drove his SUV through the Waukesha Christmas Parade, killing six people and injuring more than 60 others, brings to an end a trial filled with outbursts and attempts from Brooks to stop the trial.

Shortly before the sentencing, Dorow explained why she stated that mental health issues "did not cause him to do what he did on November 2021, and frankly, did not play a role," reading out reports from experts.

"In the last year and a half alone, this court has ordered many competency evaluations, presided over a number of contested competency hearings, and ordered many, many evaluations for the special plea of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect."

"And the bottom line is for this court, Mr. Brooks does not present as a person who is either not competent or not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect," Dorow continued.

Noting cases of schizophrenia, where a person may end up killing another person during bought of hallucinations, Dorow said, "it’s a very, very different presentation. It’s heartbreaking. It’s heart-wrenching."

"I’ve also had over my 11 years on the bench of coming face to face with people on occasion, there are many times good people do bad things. But there are times when evil people do bad things. There is no medication or treatment for a heart that is bent on evil."

"It’s very clear to this court that he understands the difference between right and wrong, and that he simply chose to ignore his conscience, fueled by anger and rage. Some people, unfortunately, choose a path of evil, and I think Mr. Brooks, you are one of those such persons."

Dorow said that she would not be able to answer all questions regarding the case. She asked Brooks, "Why? Why did you barrel down White Rock Avenue? Why did you not stop?"

While noting previous pending charges, including one case of harassment, Brooks began shouting, stating, "your honor, it said that they know it was no incident that day."

Dorow told Brooks that he needed to be quiet or face removal from the courtroom, to which Brooks said, "remove me."

After Brooks was removed from the room, Dorow said, "frankly, what this court has observed as a pattern with Mr. Brooks and that is when testimony or statements by the court or statements but the prosecution team become unfavorable to him, he lashes out and he disrupts."

Dorow ended up muting Brooks, who was in a neighboring room, after he refused to pledge that he would let her finish with her remarks without disruption.

Brooks was eventually brought back into the courtroom after displaying a sign stating that he would not disrupt anymore. When brought back into the room, Brooks once again argued with Dorow about "subject jurisdiction" not being stated. Dorow said that Brooks was only "delaying the inevitable," to which Brooks said he hasn't been treated fairly.

After continuing to argue with Dorow, Brooks was eventually removed from the room once again, with the judge stating that "he is not going to obey, he has forfeited his right to be present"

During her remarks, Dorow noted the route of the path and the speed that Brooks was traveling at, "there were so many opportunities for Mr. Brooks to simply stop, turn around, turn down other streets before" he ever reached the parade.

"Why drive towards them? Why take that right-hand turn? There’s no reasonable explanation other than he was angry. He was full of rage, and he didn’t care," Dorow later added.

More than 40 people delivered victim statements in the courtroom this week, giving heartbreaking testimonies as to the people they lost and the injuries that were suffered.

Many of these victims urged Dorow to sentence Brooks to life in prison without parole, with David Sorenson, husband of Virginia Sorenson who was killed, saying, "I ask you to send this evil animal to life in prison with no chance for parole for the callous murder of my wife."

Noting comments made by a father on Tuesday, who said, "[Brooks] hit the brakes to go around the corner," Dorow said, "the brakes were working. You knew how to use them."

Speaking of the images and videos seen during the trial, Dorow broke down in tears, saying, "to think about" the images she saw, they "frankly kept me up at night, and I saw over and over again. The band director, she’s a hero to me to get up on the stand to talk about that."

In regards to the Extreme Dance Team, many of whom were hit during the incident, Dorow said, "now I understand why one of the girls called her aunt and said the entire team is dead, because that’s what it looked like. It was horrific. And to think of those two brave young ladies who got up during this trial to testify about what they saw, what they did. Jamie and Alissa, your dancers are proud of you. Justice has been served."

Dorow continued to recount the horrific descriptions given by those at the scene, with one combat vet saying "I've never saw anything like this in such a safe area," and one of the Dancing Grannies group members saying, "it looked like a war."

Speaking of the mother of 8-year-old Jackson Sparks, one of the victims that lost their life, Dorow said, "She saw a police officer holding Jackson. She went to Tucker and their world came crashing down."

"I didn’t realize how significantly Tucker had been injured until she described that for us yesterday. How Tucker somehow blames himself for his brother’s death. It’s not your fault Tucker. Mr. Brooks is."

Brooks has attempted to use the defense of being a "sovereign citizen," "jury nullification," and a car recall to have the over 70 charges he faced be dropped.

Noting his choice to defend himself, Dorow said, "I have absolutely no concerns, and I’ve never had any concerns throughout this case and throughout this trial, or even through the past day and a half regarding his competency."

"He’s intelligent, he’s deliberate, he’s purposeful. He made nuanced arguments during this trial, one about the right to counsel versus the right to the assistance of counsel. That’s a sophisticated legal argument, not the product of someone who doesn’t understand."

Speaking on Wednesday, Brooks asserted that his actions on November 21, 2021, "was not an attack."

"It was not planned, plotted. When you constantly hear that perpetuated, constantly pushed, constantly pushed, constantly pushed, you wonder why? Why?"

"This was not an attack. This was not an intentional act. No matter how many times you say it over and over, it was not."

This is a breaking story and will be updated.