Highland Park massacre suspect regains some phone privileges; trial to begin next month

A Lake County judge on Thursday restored some of the jailed Highland Park massacre suspect's phone privileges, less than seven weeks before his case is set to go to trial.

Robert Crimo III is now allowed to call his parents from Lake County Jail, Judge Victoria Rossetti ruled during a brief court hearing Thursday.

Crimo has had his communication privileges revoked several times over the two years he's been jailed on charges he fatally shot seven people and injured at least 48 others from a rooftop overlooking the north suburb's 2022 Fourth of July parade.

Rossetti revoked Crimo's phone and internet privileges in December 2023 after the Lake County state's attorney's office accused Crimo of disclosing private information about a prosecutor.

That ruling came after someone recorded and shared a September 2023 jail call with Crimo, in which Crimo claimed the Fourth of July attack was staged by federal agents. Earlier that year, Crimo briefly lost his tablet privileges after he prank-called a journalist.

Rossetti said Thursday she was restoring some of Crimo's phone privileges because "there were no issues" over the holidays when she allowed Crimo to call his parents on Christmas Eve and Christmas.

Crimo's assistant public defender, Gregory Ticsay, had requested Rossetti also allow Crimo to call an unnamed "former neighbor and friend," but the judge denied that request.

Prosecutors urged the judge to continue to bar Crimo from phone and internet privileges.

The judge told attorneys to come prepared to discuss jury questionnaires during Crimo's next court date scheduled for Feb. 6.

The trial is set to begin Feb. 24.