Man representing self in murder case of 11-year-old

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“A nightmare for judges” reports the Chicago Tribune as the Illinois defendant is representing himself in a case where he is accused of murdering an 11-year old.

“Any pro se litigant has a fool for a lawyer, as the expression goes,” said Richard Kling, a clinical professor of law at Chicago-Kent College of Law and veteran defense attorney.
‘You open your (expletive) door’ Chicago Tribune reported.

Crosetti Brand is serving as his own attorney, arguing the case without the expertise of a licensed lawyer, and he has demanded a speedy trial — meaning the case is proceeding toward trial at a pace nearly unheard of in a building where murder cases can linger for years or even a decade, Tribune said.

Defendants have a constitutional right to represent themselves,  Tribune said, noting a right that experts say nonetheless puts the accused at a disadvantage. It also poses challenges for judges and prosecutors. In this case, the parties have struggled with logistics, such as how Brand, from the jail, may serve subpoenas upon witnesses he plans to call, Tribune also noted.

In addition to being charged with homicide, prosecutors say Brand has a well-documented history of abusing multiple women and “barging into an Edgewater apartment just a day after being released from prison, attacking his ex-girlfriend and killing Jayden when the boy tried to help his mother,” Tribune reported.