WAUPACA COUNTY (NBC 26) — The man charged with killing four people in a wrong-way crash on U.S. Highway 10 in Weyauwega appears in court once again on Tuesday afternoon.
He appeared before the judge over Zoom, while in the courtroom dozens of the victims’ family members came to show support for their loved ones who died in the crash.
Scott Farmer's second court appearance only lasted a few minutes. After determining Farmer does not have legal representation, Circuit Court Judge Raymond Huber asked that an application for a county-appointed lawyer be provided to Farmer.
Afterwards, his next court date was scheduled for Jan. 9, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. and that concluded Farmer's appearance.
His wife, Jaime, spoke outside the courtroom after the proceedings.
"This whole situation is a tragedy, there's nothing we can say, nothing we can do to give comfort to anybody ... We are struggling too and I need people to realize that and respect us as well," she said tearfully.
As we have previously reported, during Farmer's first court appearance, the prosecution said Farmer has been arrested four times for driving while intoxicated and his license was revoked for his lifetime.
The state also said in court earlier this month that Farmer had a three-quarters full bottle of vodka at his side while driving the night of the crash, and that he fought with first responders at the scene.
"People that do not understand alcoholism, judge all you want, because you don't know," Jaime said. "When you are an alcoholic, you do not think straight. Should he [have] got in that truck? No."
Kurt Schilling is the stepfather to 25-year-old Daniel, 23-year-old Fabian, 14-year-old Lilian and 9-year-old Daniela Gonzalez, who all died in the crash earlier this month.
"I can't understand why the judge never even acknowledged that we lost four children, the first time or today," Schilling said at the courthouse Tuesday. "He didn't even address us personally, it was just a cold experience."
Schilling said his family has been trying to get permission for his oldest stepson, Jorge, to come to the United States from Ecuador to attend funeral services for his siblings.
"It's just overwhelming, we cant even grieve for trying to just get our son back," he said.
He said, as far as he understands, the roadblock to getting his stepson to Wisconsin is because of Ecuador's government rather than the United States'.
Paulina Gonzalez, mother of the victims, said she does not hate Farmer.
"I feel appalled because we came [to court today] to get something, to know something," she said with her nephew, Luis Gonzalez Quizhpe, acting as a translator. "It feels appalling as a mother, and I feel very sad ... I don't have any hate against [Farmer]. But, I do want to take care of the other people that are surrounding us, [who he will be surrounded by if] he is released."
Funeral services for the Gonzalez siblings are scheduled for Wednesday morning.
