Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti ruled Wednesday that prosecutors can use the entirety of a seven-hour police interrogation video in the trial of Robert E. Crimo III, the suspect in the Highland Park parade massacre. Crimo, who held a Quran in court during the hearing, is accused of killing seven people during the July 4, 2022, parade.
Crimo’s attorneys argued that police violated his constitutional rights by not explicitly informing him that an attorney hired by his family had arrived at the station during the interrogation. They claimed police only told Crimo an attorney was in the lobby. However, Judge Rossetti disagreed, citing multiple instances where Highland Park police detectives read Crimo his Miranda rights. The judge noted Crimo’s statement in the video, “I like heard it a million times,” and described the interrogation as “conversational and non-threatening,” highlighting the relaxed atmosphere and breaks provided to Crimo. She concluded that Crimo clearly understood his rights and that the prosecution had met its burden of proof.
In a separate ruling, the judge also allowed identification testimony from Highland Park Sgt. Brian Soldano, a former school resource officer who interacted with Crimo at Edgewood Middle School and Highland Park High School. Sgt. Soldano identified Crimo in videos and photos from the shooting scene.
Following the hearing, Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart and Crimo’s attorneys, Gregory Ticsay and Anton Trizna, declined to comment on the judge’s decision. The attorneys did indicate they had prepared juror questionnaires for the trial, scheduled for February 24, 2025. The next court hearing is set for January 9.