Kyle Rittenhouse jury deliberations continue as trial nears sentencing
The jury in Kyle Rittenhouse try it out On Wednesday, they are considering a second day after having yet to issue a verdict on whether Rittenhouse was guilty of murder or acting in self-defense in a shooting during a police brutality protest in 2020. .
The first day of jury deliberations in the Kenosha, Wisconsin courthouse, was mostly quiet after the final 12 jurors were selected when Rittenhouse himself drew random numbers from a cup.
The jury on Tuesday issued a brief request for additional copies of the instructions Judge Bruce Schroeder read them before concluding arguments.
Rittenhouse, 18, was charged with first-degree murder by Anthony Huber, first-degree reckless murder against Joseph Rosenbaum and first-degree murder by Gaige Grosskreutz. He also faces two charges of reckless endangerment, and a jury may consider Some fees include less on certain quantity.
He will face a mandatory life sentence if found guilty of the most serious offences.
Test pitting against two competitive narration of the night of August 25, 2020, against each other. Rittenhouse’s defense attorneys said Rittenhouse, 17 at the time, was in Kenosha helping the community after several nights of protests and killed two men and injured another in self-defense. . Prosecutors say the teen was attempting to cause trouble, armed with an AR-15-style rifle, and incite attacks, thereby losing his right to defend himself.
Protests took place after a white police officer shot Jacob Blake, a Black man, several times. Blake Survived but paralyzed from the waist down. NS the official has been cleared for any state or federal violation.
‘Hot spot of division’:Rittenhouse case, Arbery death trial reflects deepening political and racial divisions
The jury requested additional copies of the instructions; Rittenhouse draws numbers from the swashbuckler
The jury asked Schroeder no questions on their first day of deliberation on Tuesday beyond requests for additional copies of their jury instructions.
Included in those guidelines are the legal requirements that the prosecutor must meet to prove each charge and whether Rittenhouse incited the shooting, as well as the requirements that the defense must meet in order to demonstrate self-defence.
Schroeder raised his eyebrows slightly The third when he allowed Rittenhouse to draw numbers from a tumbler to choose six alternatives and set up 12 final jurors. Surrogates will remain in court in case of need.
More about Schroeder:Judge Kyle Rittenhouse received his share of the criticism. Is it possible to remove a judge from a case? No possibility.
Schroeder said he has allowed defendants to do so for the past 20 years. While it is not illegal or immoral, this duty is usually reserved for court clerks, said Ion Meyn, an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Law.
The jury consisted of five men and seven women and 11 whites and one person of color. The six alternatives are an even split between white males and females.
Discussions take place from about 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. Schroeder said he will let the jurors decide how late they want to stay.
What happens to the movement of the defense against a bad guy?
During the trial, Rittenhouse’s defense attorneys demanded that Schroeder be guilty of prejudice, meaning that Rittenhouse could not be retried.
The move comes after they objected to questioning by Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger, who they said commented on Rittenhouse’s right to remain silent and attempted to present evidence that Schroeder did not authorize in the case. the court.
Binger said his comments only reflect that Rittenhouse was able to tailor his testimony to fit the trial dates he heard and that he thinks Schroeder has failed to make a final judgment on the evidence. which he began to give.
Schroeder reminded him, shouting at the prosecutor and the jury out of the room. However, the judge has yet to rule on the wrongful motion.
More info on errant motion:A grand jury is considering the Kyle Rittenhouse case, but a false motion is still pending. What happens now?
Keith Findley, a professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Law, called the lack of decision “odd”.
“The only reason I can think of to wait is that maybe he wants to give the jury a chance to acquit him so he doesn’t have to, but that’s speculation on my part,” said Findley, co-founder of the Wisconsin Innocence Project, said .
“I’m not sure why the judge was waiting to give a verdict,” said Michael O’Hear, a professor of criminal law at Marquette Law School. “It doesn’t seem to me like he’ll turn the case over to a jury if he’s expected to make a erroneous verdict.”
How much jail time could Rittenhouse face?
If found guilty of first-degree murder in Huber’s death, Rittenhouse will face a mandatory life sentence. The person adding “using a dangerous weapon” to this charge will receive an additional five years in prison.
The lesser charges the jury can consider are second-degree intentional murder and first-degree reckless murder, both of which carry sentences of up to 60 years in prison.
The first degree reckless murder in Rosenbaum’s death carries up to 60 years in prison, plus five years in prison for the “use of a dangerous weapon” charge.
If convicted of knowingly killing Grosskreutz in the first degree, Rittenhouse faces 60 years in prison, plus five years for the same weapon modifier.
The lesser offences that the jury may consider are second-degree attempted murder and first-degree reckless endangerment, punishable by up to 30 years and up to 12 and a half years, respectively. .
Each first degree reckless endangerment of safety, involving the unidentified man and the Daily Caller reporter, will be sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison, plus five years of weapon modification. .
The National Guard is on standby as Kenosha awaits the verdict
Watch out for potential post-judgment violence, Governor Tony Evers sent about 500 Wisconsin National Guard troops to the Kenosha area on standby.
According to Evers’ office, the military will help “hundreds of officers from volunteer law enforcement” should they need assistance in the event of unrest.
Groups of protesters were outside the courthouse on Tuesday as they awaited news from the grand jury. Protesters chanted, “no justice, no peace” and held up signs.
“Right now, we really don’t have a lot of information that suggests we’re going to have problems here,” Sgt said. David Wright, a spokesman for the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department. “We are working to liaise with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of our community.”
Wright noted that Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth neither declared an emergency nor requested the National Guard.
“I’m sure it would be great if we needed it if we needed it,” said Wright. “But we don’t anticipate any problems here. All the people down here are very friendly and not really aggressive or anything like that.”
Closing Argument: Community Help or Active Shooter?
In their closing arguments on Monday, the attorneys briefed on how they saw the facts of the case and gave their final opinion to the jurors on how to reach the verdict.
Prosecutors said Rittenhouse had no business in Kenosha that night. He brought the gun to “a skirmish” and created an active shooting situation, Binger said. Binger adds that even if he fears for his safety, he should use all other options, like running or fighting without firing a gun before shooting those people.
“The defendant wants you to believe that because he was the one carrying the gun, he was authorized to kill,” Binger said.
‘Wannabe soldier’ vs ‘crowd’ attack:Prosecutor, defense give final arguments in Kyle Rittenhouse trial
Defense attorney Mark Richards painted Rittenhouse as a teenager in the community where his father lived trying to help others. Richards focuses on Rosenbaum as the catalyst of the night’s tragedies and says that Rittenhouse is confronted by a mob that is attacking him.
Richards said: “I’m glad he shot him, because if Joseph Rosenbaum had gotten that gun, I don’t believe for a minute that he wouldn’t have used it against someone else. He’s absurd. and crazy”.
“The only imminent danger that night was Kyle Rittenhouse,” Assistant District Attorney James Kraus told jurors during the state’s dismissal.
Contributors: Molly Beck and Elliot Hughes, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Related press