Joe Domask: Darrell Brooks' lawyer in Milwaukee cases WON'T rep Waukesha suspect
Darrell Brooks, the man charged over the death of six people in Waukesha, Wisconsin is facing a major legal headache. Not only is he facing six counts of intentional homicide in Waukesha, but he's also on the hook for two incidents in Milwaukee. On November 29, we have learnt that his attorney Joseph Domask in the Milwaukee cases has decided to step down from representing Brooks, leaving him without representation in the city.
In Waukesha, Brooks is being represented by two public defenders, as he faces the possibility of life in prison. He is also a wanted man in Nevada, where he has been listed as a non-compliant, Tier 2 sex offender. A look into Brooks' history shows he's a career criminal, with a rap sheet originating in 1999. He's been charged before on multiple counts, both misdemeanours and felonies.
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Several of those charges are still open in Milwaukee, where Brooks was being represented by Domask. However, that's no longer the case after Domask told the court he would no longer be the attorney of record as of November 23, 2021.
Domask distances himself from Waukesha killer
The Milwaukee-based lawyer is an expert in criminal defence and runs his own firm - Domask Law Offices. It's unclear if he approached Brooks or if Brooks approached him, but Domask has been his attorney for the two cases Brooks is facing. The first case stems from July 2020 when Brooks got into an argument with his nephew Anaji Brooks over a cellphone, which led Brooks to shoot at him. That incident saw Brooks charged with two counts of use of a dangerous weapon and a felony count of possession of a firearm.
Then on November 5, Brooks got into an altercation with the mother of his child in Milwaukee, which led him to drive over her with his SUV. That led to numerous charges including resisting an officer (misdemeanor), felony bail jumping, second-degree recklessly endangering safety (felony) with domestic abuse assessments, disorderly conduct, and battery (both misdemeanors, also with domestic abuse assessments.) It was, in this case, he was infamously let off on a bail of $1,000, causing much anger nationwide.
Now, Brooks will be without representation for both those cases after Domask has decided to distance himself. "Relationships and familiarities, both direct and indirect, between Attorney Domask and members of Domask Law Office and individuals, families, groups, organizations and the communities affected by the incidents arising on November 21, 2021, in the Waukesha County Holiday Parade have created a concurrent conflict of interest in Attorney Domask's representation of Mr. Brooks," he wrote in his notice.
Domask believes withdrawing would be the best course of action, with a motion hearing on both cases set for November 30, 2021. It's unclear if Brooks will obtain other representation, but if he should fail to do so, it's likely a public defender will take over the case. It's unclear if that would mean a delay in proceedings, further information is expected from the November 30 hearing.