Legal expert weighs in on closing arguments as Brooks case heads to jury deliberations

WAUKESHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Despite numerous challenges and interruptions throughout the Darrell Brooks trial, a top legal expert says Judge Jennifer Dorow is doing a great job of managing the case.

Attorney Julius Kim expects deliberations will not take long. Kim said the evidence in this case is simply overwhelming, and the facts aren't really up for debate.

So, while the jury has dozens of counts to consider, he does not think it will take long. Kim thinks completing the paperwork for the 70+ counts could take longer than the actual deliberations.

He said, "My gut feeling is it's not going to take very long for them to come back with the verdicts in this particular case."

And so a legal process that felt like a marathon for much of the past 11 months may soon end with a sprint.

Kim said from a practical standpoint, the jury will likely not evaluate every count one-by-one or re-evaluate the facts for every count. But he added, "That's not saying these jurors aren't going to try hard to make sure they're doing a good job and be fair to Mr. Brooks. I just have a feeling they're going to make a quick decision because the evidence has been overwhelming."

Prior to his closing arguments, Brooks and Judge Dorow went back and forth at length over jury nullification.

Kim explained, "Jury nullification is essentially asking a jury to decide a verdict based on something other than the law. It could be based upon sympathy or just feeling sorry for someone."

Brooks threatened to bring it up to the jury despite being explicitly warned he could not do so.

At one point, when the jury was out of the courtroom, Brooks told the judge, "The jury should know that they can nullify."

Judge Dorow then muted him.

When Brooks did start his closing arguments, he leaned heavily into generating sympathy from the jurors, saying that day in November also changed his life. He said, "I have a newborn son I haven't been able to meet."

But moments after he finished, Judge Dorow instructed the jury, "You will not be swayed by sympathy, prejudice, or passion."

Kim said, "Darrell Brooks violated a ton of rules in his closing arguments that lawyers aren't supposed to do or say. But obviously he's not a lawyer."

Kim said once the trial ends, the decision to allow Brooks to represent himself could be scrutinized. He said as the trial progressed, more questions arose as to whether Brooks was truly competent enough to represent himself.