Robert Crimo III signed his trial waiver “Donald Trump” after pleading guilty to the Highland Park parade shooting, but experts say his guilty plea should stand no matter what name he signed.
“He can sign Mickey Mouse or Donald Trump,” said Richard Kling, a law professor at Kent College of Law. What matters, Kling said, is that there is a transcript of Crimo orally pleading guilty, which Crimo did Monday.
“If [the judge] asked the magic questions, and he gave the magic answers, the plea is guilty,” Kling said.
However, the erroneously signed document could open the window for defense attorneys to later argue the plea was not voluntary, he said.
“He can try that track — a move to vacate his plea for any reason. Then the question is if [the judge] will have a hearing,” Kling said.
The document was posted Tuesday to the Lake County Court Clerk’s website, one day after Crimo pleaded guilty in court to all 69 combined counts of murder and attempted murder.
A copy of the waiver provided to the Sun-Times on Wednesday shows Crimo’s name printed twice on the document, dated Tuesday, but the signature line shows the name “Donald Trump” in cursive writing. The judge’s signature line on the document is empty.
The court clerk’s office said the document was filed by the Lake County Public Defender office. Crimo’s public defense attorneys, Greg Ticsay and Anton Trizna, did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart’s office declined to comment.
Crimo had shown some interest in Republican politics before he admitted to firing an assault rifle from a Highland Park rooftop during the town’s parade on July 4, 2022, killing seven people and wounding 48.
Crimo attended four pro-Trump demonstrations in Highland Park, Deerfield and Northbrook in 2020.
But no public evidence shows Crimo carried out the attack in the name of a right-leaning ideology. The closest authorities have come to disclosing a motive is when Crimo told police he committed the attack to “wake people up,” according to an FBI affidavit.
President Donald Trump does not have the power to pardon or commute people convicted of state offenses.
An Illinois criminal statute governing trial waivers does not require the defendant to sign his own name, defense attorney Adam Sheppard said.
The law requires the defendant to show in court that he understands he was waiving his trial, Sheppard said. Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti conducted this line of questioning on Monday.
“Mr. Crimo, is this what you want to do today — plead guilty?” the judge asked Crimo.
Crimo, 24, answered, “Yes.”
Sheppard said the signature might reflect on Crimo’s ability to understand he was signing away his right to a trial.
“The fact that he used the president’s name may raise an eyebrow in terms of fitness,” Sheppard said.
Crimo’s lawyers have not questioned Crimo’s competency in court or any written motions.
Crimo’s sentencing hearing is set for April 23.