Kyle Rittenhouse verdict - live: Attorney calls Trump Jr ‘idiot’ for supporting offer of free gun for teen
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Kyle Rittenhouse’s attorney has hit out at Republican politicians trying to capitalise on his client’s “celebrity”, calling their behaviour “disgusting”.
He also called Donald Trump Jr an “idiot” for supporting an offer by Guns of America to give Rittenhouse a free AR-15 rifle. Trump Jr told his followers in a now-deleted tweet: “Sign the card in support of Kyle. Americans have a fundamental right to defend themselves, and to keep and bear arms.”
Mark Richards, who represented Rittenhouse at trial, told Insider: “He’s an idiot. I don’t have to expand on that because it speaks for itself.”
He also criticised Republican congressmen who have offered Kyle Rittenhouse internships following his acquittal, saying: “They want to trade on his celebrity and I think it’s disgusting.”
Some protests sprang up across the US on Friday night following the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse after a jury found him not guilty on all five counts in his homicide trial after four days of jury deliberations.
Most demonstrations were peaceful, with the exception of Portland, Oregon, where a small group of protesters broke windows of the justice centre.
Right-wing figures celebrated the decision, with Republican US Rep Madison Cawthorn offering Mr Rittenhouse an internship and telling supporters to “be armed, be dangerous, and be moral” while exercising the right to self-defense.
Fox News personality Tucker Carlson will interview Mr Rittenhouse on Monday, and the network is set to air a documentary-style film about the trial in December. Mr Richards told CNN on Friday that he did not approve of a film crew embedding with the legal team.
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Kyle Rittenhouse verdict: Shooter found not guilty on all charges in homicide trial
Who is Kyle Rittenhouse and what did he do?
Judge Schroeder blasted over Kyle Rittenhouse verdict: ‘He ‘virtually demanded’ not guilty’
Trump congratulates Rittenhouse on acquittal: ‘If that’s not self defense, nothing is’
Key Points
Kyle Rittenhouse verdict: Shooter is found not guilty on all charges in homicide trial
What’s next for Kyle Rittenhouse?
Kyle Rittenhouse will tell his story on ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ on Monday
Protests across US follow verdict, including ‘riot’ in Portland
Rittenhouse attorney criticses ‘disgusting’ attempts to capitalise on verdict
Fox News is to air documentary about Kyle Rittenhouse’s homicide trial
ICYMI: Democratic House Judiciary chairman blasts Rittenhouse verdict as ‘miscarriage of justice’
13:02 , Holly Bancroft
The Democratic House Judiciary chairman Jerold Nadler has described the not guilty verdict in Kyle Rittenhouse’s trial as a “miscarriage of justice”.
He also called for a “federal review” to take place.
Mr Nadler issued a statement after the verdict, saying: “This heartbreaking verdict is a miscarriage of justice and sets a dangerous precedent which justifies federal review by DOJ.
“Justice cannot tolerate armed persons crossing state lines looking for trouble while people engage in First Amendment-protected protest.”
Kyle Rittenhouse cannot be tried again for the same alleged crimes and the Department of Justice does not have any authority to prosecute state crimes.
The DOJ could however probe law enforcement for bias or misconduct.
Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters after the trial that the verdict “really speaks for itself”.
She added: “As many of you know, I’ve spent a majority of my career working to make the criminal justice system more equitable. And clearly, there’s a lot more work to do.”
Calls for Joe Biden to apologise to Kyle Rittenhouse following not guilty verdict
12:15 , Holly Bancroft
A US Senator has called on President Joe Biden to apologise to Kyle Rittenhouse after a jury found that he had acted in self defense when he shot three men last year.
Senator Tom Cotton tweeted: “Joe Biden needs to publicly apologize to Kyle Rittenhouse.” He was demanding an apology from Biden over the President’s use of Rittenhouse’s image in a video he tweeted during his presidential campaign.
The video attempted to link former President Trump to White supremacists. It showed a clip from a Presidential debate where President Trump was asked if he would condemn white supremacists and militia groups.
The questioner referenced the violence in Kenosha and Portland last year and Rittenhouse’s image accompanied that voice over.
There is no suggestion that Kyle Rittenhouse is linked to white supremacists or militia.
What we know about the three men shot by Kyle Rittenhouse
10:19 , Holly Bancroft
Joseph Rosenbaum
Joseph Rosenbaum crossed paths with Kyle Rittenhouse in a used-car lot. He had just been discharged from hospital in Milwaukee where he had been treated for a suicide attempt.
It is not clear why he was out on Kenosha’s streets the night of the protests but his fiance lived in the city.
Rosenbaum was unarmed and carries a plastic bag containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, socks, deodorant and some papers.
According to Rittenhouse’s lawyers, Rosenbaum came up to Kyle Rittenhouse and tried to “engage him”. Rittenhouse ran away and Rosenbaum chased after him.
A video shows that Rosenbaum threw his plastic bag at Rittenhouse, who responded by firing four shots at him.
Rittenhouse argued during the trial that Rosenbaum had reached for his gun.
Anthony Huber
After he shot at Rosenbaum, Rittenhouse panicked and started running away towards a line of police.
Several protesters saw him and thought he was an “active shooter”. A couple started chasing him, including Anthony Huber.
Anthony Huber, who was a keen skater, caught up with Rittenhouse and tried to stop him by hitting him with a skateboard. During the tussle, Rittenhouse shot Huber dead.
Gaige Grosskreutz
Gaige Grosskreutz was also among the number of people who chased after Rittenhouse.
He was armed with a pistol, but also had a pack of medical supplies. He had been to dozens of protests over the summer and said he was at this one to help out with medical care.
He was shot in the arm by Rittenhouse.
Lessons to learn from Rittenhouse trial for other self defense cases
08:04 , Holly Bancroft
Following the recent jury verdict that Kyle Rittenhouse was acting in self defense when he shot two men dead, commentators are reassessing the expected outcome of other trials.
In Georgia, three men stand trail for killing Ahmaud Arbery, something they claim they did in self defense.
The verdict in that case is expected as soon as next week, with the closing arguments being heard on Monday.
William Bryan, Greg McMichael and his son Travis McMichael are charged with the murder of the 25-year-old Arbery. Prosecutors say they chased and shot Arbery to death as he took a Sunday afternoon job in February last year.
The result of Rittenhouse’s trial has caused activists to doubt the American justice system and some have been drawing parallels between the two cases.
“Is there any real justice in this system?” Barbara Arnwine, an activist who was attending the Arbery trial, told The Washington Post following Rittenhouse’s acquittal.
Others who were stood outside the Arbery trial, reacted to the news in the Rittenhouse case. Armiah Crawford told NPR: “If he can get off with that, then what can anybody else get off with? That’s crazy”.
Ahmaud’s father, Marcus Arbery, said: “It just scare you about this justice system. This world ain’t going to never get right till this justice system get right and be fair and start putting these people in jail behind this unnecessary killing.”
Kyle Rittenhouse's attorney calls Trump Jr an ‘idiot’ for offering the teen free guns
05:30 , Peony Hirwani
Kyle Rittenhouse’s attorney Mark Richards criticised Trump Jr and other Republicans trying to profit on the recent verdict.
Richards said he was unhappy with Republican party members such as Paul Gosar, Matt Gaetz and Madison Cawthorn offering Rittenhouse an internship.
“They’re raising money on it and you have all these Republican congressmen saying come work for me,” Rittenhouse’s attorney told Insider. “They want to trade on his celebrity and I think it’s disgusting.”
Richards also called out Trump Jr. for tweeting about a gun rights organisation wanting to award Rittenhouse with another AR-15 in a now-deleted tweet.
“He’s an idiot,” Richards said. “I don’t have to expand on that because it speaks for itself.”
Fox News says the network did not pay the teenager’s family for any special access during trial
04:15 , Peony Hirwani
A Fox News executive said on Saturday that the network did not pay Kyle Rittenhouse’s family for any special access during the teen’s murder trial or after his acquittal, after it was announced that he would speak to Tucker Carlson for an interview to air on Monday.
via AP
Fox says it did not pay for Rittenhouse film and interview
Fox News is to air documentary about Kyle Rittenhouse’s homicide trial
03:33 , Peony Hirwani
Hours after a jury acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse on charges of homicide, Fox News personality Tucker Carlson announced that he will not only interview the teenager but air a documentary about him.
On 19 November, the host of Tucker Carlson Tonight revealed that a film crew had followed the 18-year-old during the trial, although defence attorney Mark Richards told CNN that he did “not approve of that”.
“I threw them out of the room several times,” Mr Richards said on Friday following the verdict. “I don’t think a film crew is appropriate for something like this.”
Alex Woodward has the full story
Rittenhouse attorney ‘did not approve of’ Tucker Carlson film crew following team
01:13 , Katy Clifton
What’s next for Kyle Rittenhouse?
After avoiding a possible life behind bars, Kyle Rittenhouse left Kenosha courthouse a free man to pursue a potential life of either nursing, politics or relative anonymity.
But his acquittal of first-degree intentional homicide may not end his legal woes as a battle brews over who gets the $2m raised for his bond, and his case is referred to the Department of Justice for possible federal charges.
Immediately after the verdict, defence attorney Mark Richards said Mr Rittenhouse would likely leave Wisconsin, move to a new area, and fade into obscurity as the intense national media attention subsides.
Here, Justin Vallejo takes a look at what is next for the teenager.
Next for Rittenhouse: College, Congress and a bitter battle over his $2m bond awaits
Windows smashed in downtown Portland Rittenhouse protest
00:15 , Emily Atkinson
Law enforcement in Portland Friday night declared a riot as about 200 demonstrators protested the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse who killed two people and injured another in Wisconsin.
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said the protesters were breaking windows, throwing objects at police and talking about burning down a local government building in downtown Portland, KOIN TV reported, but the crowd had dispersed by about 11 p.m.
Several people were given citations, the Portland Police Bureau said, but only one person who had an outstanding warrant from another matter was arrested.
via AP
Windows smashed in downtown Portland Rittenhouse protest
Rittenhouse attorney says he is inundated with death threats
Saturday 20 November 2021 21:51 , Alex Woodward
Kyle Rittenhouse defense attorney Mark Richards told Insider that he “can’t count” the number of death threats he has received because they’re “too high”.
“I would love for things to change, for people to talk to one another without fighting, but, unfortunately, I don’t see it changing it any time soon,” he told the website.
He said after his client was acquitted on Friday in Kenosha and he “started answering my phone, the first three calls were death threats, and I just quit answering my phone,” he said.
“I’m going through my emails, there are threatening emails too,” he said.
Nearly half of Americans do not support stricter gun laws, poll finds
Saturday 20 November 2021 21:30 , Alex Woodward
Roughly 49 per cent of Americans oppose stricter gun laws, while 45 percent are in support, according to a Quinnipiac University poll from earlier this month.
The results fall largely along partisan lines: 84 per cent of Republicans oppose restrictions on guns, while 91 per cent of Democrats support them.
For the first time since December 2015, fewer than 50 per cent of American voters support stricter gun laws. Among registered voters, 48 per cent oppose them, while 47 per cent are in support.
Rittenhouse attorney says GOP lawmakers are trying to ‘profit’ from client
Saturday 20 November 2021 21:10 , Alex Woodward
Kyle Rittenhouse’s defense attorney Mark Richards told Insider that he believes it is “disgusting” that prominent GOP officials are “trying to profit” from his client’s case and acquittal.
“There’s a lot of people trying to profit on this, and I don’t think people should,” he told Insider.
“They’re raising money on it and you have all these Republican congressmen saying, ‘Come work for me.’ ... They want to trade on his celebrity and I think it’s disgusting.”
His comment follow widespread celebration among Republican officials following a not guilty verdict in Mr Rittenhouse’s double homicide trial, including three members of Congress suggesting that Mr Rittenhouse be their intern.
Rittenhouse attorney: ‘Too many people run around with guns in our society'
Saturday 20 November 2021 20:27 , Alex Woodward
During his appearance on CNN on Friday, Kyle Rittenhouse attorney Mark Richards said he believes “too many people run around with guns in our society.”
CNN host Chris Cuomo asked whether he believes it has become “too easy” to shoot people relying on claims of self-defense against prosecutors’ high burden to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they were invalid.
“I represent a lot of people who have legal conceal carry permits who get into it, they pull the gun and there’s problems from there, whether they’re under the influence of alcohol or they use it to threaten somebody,” he told CNN’s Chris Cuomo. “I wish our society wasn’t perceived as being so dangerous that people needed to arm themselves.”
He added: “I’m old enough when I remember you couldn’t carry a gun.”
Mr Richards – who was hired by Mr Rittenhouse’s previous attorneys, including election fraud conspiracy theorist Lin Wood – told the Associated Press that he did not join the case as “somebody to go off on a crusade.”
“They wanted to use Kyle for a cause and something that I think was inappropriate – and I don’t represent causes. I represent clients,” he said.
Mr Rittenhouse’s attorneys successfully argued to jurors that their client fired his AR-15-style rifle to protect himself in self-defense against a violent mob that has chased after him.
GoFundMe explains why crowdfunding site removed Rittenhouse campaigns
Saturday 20 November 2021 20:00 , Alex Woodward
GoFundMe removed dozens of online fundraisers for Kyle Rittenhouse after he was charged in the Kenosha shootings because such campaigns violated the company’s Terms of Service that “prohibit raising money for the legal defense of an alleged violent crime,” the company explained in a statement.
Following his acquittal on Friday, the company explained that “a fundraiser to pay lawyers, cover legal expenses or to help with ongoing living expenses for a person acquitted of those charges could remain active as long as we determine it is not in violation of any of our other terms and, for example, the purpose is clearly stated and the correct beneficiary is added to the fundraiser.”
What’s next for Kyle Rittenhouse?
Saturday 20 November 2021 19:30 , Alex Woodward
From The Independent’s Justin Vallejo:
After avoiding a possible life behind bars, Kyle Rittenhouse left Kenosha courthouse a free man to pursue a potential life of either nursing, politics or relative anonymity.
But his acquittal of first-degree intentional homicide may not end his legal woes as a battle brews over who gets the $2m raised for his bond, and his case is referred to the Department of Justice for possible federal charges.
Next for Rittenhouse: College, Congress and a bitter battle over his $2m bond awaits
Kyle Rittenhouse attorney ‘did not approve of’ Tucker Carlson film crew embedded with team during trial
Saturday 20 November 2021 19:00 , Alex Woodward
Hours after a jury acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse on charges of homicide, Fox News personality Tucker Carlson announced that he will not only interview the teenager but air a documentary about him.
Mr Rittenhouse was charged with five felonies after fatally shooting two men and injuring another in the volatile aftermath of police brutality protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin on 25 August, 2020.
On 19 November, the host of Tucker Carlson Tonight revealed that a film crew had followed the 18-year-old during the trial, though defense attorney Mark Richards told CNN that he did “not approve of that”.
“I threw them out of the room several times,” Mr Richards said on Friday following the verdict. “I don’t think a film crew is appropriate for something like this.”
More here:
Rittenhouse attorney ‘did not approve of’ Tucker Carlson film crew following team
Can Kyle Rittenhouse face civil penalties?
Saturday 20 November 2021 18:35
Legal experts tell NBC News that should Kyle Rittenhouse face a wrongful death lawsuit in a civil trial, he could claim self-defense as he did in his criminal trial.
The burden of proof on civil plaintiffs will need to show “a preponderance of evidence rather than beyond a reasonable doubt” which may be prove to be a lower bar for an effective civil case, unlike in the criminal case, where prosecutors faced a significant hurdle.
“In a civil case you just have to prove negligence,” Rory Little, a professor at the University of California Hastings College of Law, told NBC News. “Did his conduct fall below the standard of care that the average person would have?”
A civil action would also allow a jury to examine a broader range of evidence, rather than the criminal trial’s relatively narrow scope that traced the events of the shootings.
Portland police declare ‘riot’ amid protests after polarising Rittenhouse verdict as victims plea for peace
Saturday 20 November 2021 17:49 , Alex Woodward
Officials across the US and the families of victims have urged for calm as protests in several cities followed the polarising outcome in the homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse.
In New York around 300 people marched and carried placards from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to the Brooklyn Bridge before crossing into lower Manhattan on Friday.
Protests in Portland, Oregon prompted officials to declare a riot. A group of “10 to 20” people in a crowd of roughly 200 protesters broke windows and tossed objects at police, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.
Meanwhile, families of victims and officials in Kenosha have urged for peaceful demonstrations as healing continues in the fractured community.
More here:
Portland police declare ‘riot’ amid protests after polarising Rittenhouse verdict
Proud Boys defence motion in Capitol riot case points to Kyle Rittenhouse as precedent
Saturday 20 November 2021 16:54 , Alex Woodward
A defence motion filed on behalf of alleged Proud Boys on the same day as the verdict in the Rittenhouse trial defended their actions in Washington DC on 6 January by comparing them to Mr Rittenhouse’s decision to patrol Kenosha streets.
Members came to the Capitol to “defend vulnerable demonstrators against violent attacks from antifa, not unlike what Kyle Rittenhouse did” in Wisconsin on 25 August 2020, according to the motion, first reported by NBC4 investigative reporter Scott MacFarlane, who was closely followed Capitol riot-linked cases.
Donald Trump Jr: Rittenhouse is ‘guilty of murdering prosecutors career'
Saturday 20 November 2021 16:27 , Alex Woodward
Donald Trump Jr has accused Wisconsin prosecutors of withholding evidence and lying “repeatedly” throughout the Rittenhouse trial in a Twitter post coming to Kyle Rittenhouse’s defence on Saturday.
He said that Mr Rittenhouse is “guilty of murdering prosecutors career” after jurors acquitted him on 19 November after he was charged with homicide for fatally shooting two people and injuring another during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin last year.
At least three members of Congress have suggested they want Kyle Rittenhouse as an intern
Saturday 20 November 2021 15:46 , Alex Woodward
Republican US Reps Madison Cawthorn, Matt Gaetz and Paul Gosar have suggested they would want Kyle Rittenhouse as an intern.
On Wednesday, Mr Gaetz told conservative cable network Newsmax that Mr Rittenhouse would “make a great congressional intern”.
Protests across US follow verdict, including ‘riot’ in Portland
Saturday 20 November 2021 15:04 , Alex Woodward
Officials across the US and the families of victims have urged for calm and peaceful demonstrations as protests in several cities followed the polarising outcome in the homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse.
In New York, hundreds of people marched and carried placards from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and to the Brooklyn Bridge before crossing into Lower Manhattan on 19 November.
Protests in Portland, Oregon prompted officials to declare a riot that night, after a group of people among a crowd of roughly 200 broke windows and tossed objects at police.
Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office declared a riot after the group began “tampering with” a gate out the Multnomah CountyJustice Center, which houses local police, and tried to block the ramp with downed tree branches. One person with an outstanding warrant was arrested.
Tucker Carlson TV crew embedded with Rittenhouse during trial
Saturday 20 November 2021 14:57 , Alex Woodward
Rittenhouse defence attorney Mark Richards said he did not approve a Fox film crew that was embedded with the team, after a preview of the “Tucker Carlson Originals” documentary aired on Friday.
“I threw them out of the room several times,” Mr Richards told CNN. “I don’t think a film crew is appropriate for something like this.”
Donald Trump Jr endorses sending AR 15 gun to Kyle Rittenhouse
Saturday 20 November 2021 13:31 , Holly Bancroft
A group called Gun Owners of America has said that it would “award” Kyle Rittenhouse with an AR-15 gun “for his defense of gun rights in America.”
An AR-15 is the model of rifle that Rittenhouse was carrying when he shot three people, leaving two dead, last year.
Donald Trump Jr supported the gift and encouraged people to sign a card of support that will be sent to the teenager, along with his new rifle.
“Sign the card in support of Kyle”, Trump Jr told his Twitter followers after the jury’s decision that Rittenhouse was not guilty on all charges.
He added: “Americans have a fundamental right to defend themselves, and to keep and bear arms. The verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial is a recognition of those rights.”
No signs of unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin following Kyle Rittenhouse’s acquital
Saturday 20 November 2021 12:51 , Holly Bancroft
Pockets of peaceful protest sprung up across American on Friday night after a jury cleared Kyle Rittenhouse of all charges over his shooting of three people.
And there were no signs of unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where Rittenhouse had been tried and acquitted.
Democratic governor Tony Evers had placed 500 members of the National Guard on stand by ahead of the verdict but there were no signs of any major clashes on Friday night or early Saturday morning.
The calm has been directly contrasted to last year’s protests after the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was wanted for alleged sexual assault.
The event set off peaceful protests in the state, which then turned into burst of rioting. Rittenhouse had travelled to Kenosha to defend property amid the unrest last year.
Girlfriend of Rittenhouse victim Anthony Huber says she as ‘a lot of sympathy’ for the teenager
Saturday 20 November 2021 11:48 , Holly Bancroft
The girlfriend of one of the men shot dead by Kyle Rittenhouse said on Thursday that she had “a lot of sympathy” for the teen.
She said that he got swept up into trying to be the “king of the world” during last year’s riots in Wisconsin.
Hannah Gittings, 25, criticised local authorities, saying: “Kenosha also needs to be help responsible for allowing this militia to show up and do exactly what they came here to do.”
She said: “I do have a lot of sympathy for this kid because he is just a kid to me so it was just like a real dumbass kid who unfortunately became the figurehead for this.”
Speaking after the court verdict on Friday, Hannah Gittings added: “Every day I wish I could unload some of this grief, but I can’t.
“And now the system is telling me no one needs to answer for that, and I have a problem with that. I think I’ve expressed a lot of empathy on the other side of this and that’s not been reciprocated.”
Legal scholars not surprised by verdict, reports say
Saturday 20 November 2021 10:54 , Holly Bancroft
Legal experts have highlighted the high burden on the prosecution in Kyle Rittenhouse’s trial.
Rittenhouse claimed that he had acted in self-defense when he shot three men, killing two, during unrest in Wisconsin last year.
Cecelia Klingele, a University of Wisconsin law professor, told The New York Times: “It was a real uphill battle to get out from under self-defense.”
She added: “When people look at this, and they’re feeling frustrated, they’re not recognizing just how high the prosecutors’ burden is here.”
Wisconsin’s rules say that if people reasonably believe they are at risk of death or great bodily harm, they can use deadly force.
Most states say that someone who provokes violence or is acting illegally waives the right to self-defense. However Wisconsin allows people to act in self-defense if they have “exhausted every other reasonable means to escape from or otherwise avoid death or great bodily harm.”
Samuel Buell, a former federal prosecutor, said that state’s open carry law also had a part to play in the trail. “Do you look at the choice to go to a heated, confrontational area with a weapon that would be scary to a lot of people?” he said, “You can’t really say that he doesn’t have a right to do that because of the status of gun laws.”
He added: “If we’re going to have a country in which guns are pervasive and the law has little or nothing to say about where and when one may carry a gun and display a gun, then we are going to have a situation where self-defense law can’t really handle it.”
ICYMI: Unrest in Portland as other peaceful protests spring up across America
Saturday 20 November 2021 10:14 , Holly Bancroft
Around 200 protesters broke windows and threw objects at the police in Portland, Oregon on Friday night after Kyle Rittenhouse was cleared over the shooting of three people in Wisconsin last year.
Police declared a riot in Portland after a official building was targeted in the protests.
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said the riot was near the Multnomah County Justice Centre.
The police tweeted: “A crowd has gathered near SE 2nd Avenue and SE Madison Street and participants have begun breaking windows and damaging doors of city facilities in the area. People are throwing objects at police officers in the area.”
Police used loudspeakers to ask the crowd to disperse or face the use of force, including “pepper spray and impact weapons”.
The crowd had broken up and dispersed by 11pm.
Pictured: Protesters march across America after Rittenhouse verdict
Saturday 20 November 2021 10:02 , Holly Bancroft
About 100 demonstrators marched through Oakland, California, on Friday, November 19, to protest the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse.
“Revolution nothing else”, the crowd shouted as they marched from Oakland’s city Hall to the Federal building.
Hundreds marched through Brooklyn, New York, carrying signs and chanting. They made their way from the Barclays Centre to the Brooklyn Bridge.
The group remained peaceful and there were no reports of arrests.
Mock jurors were used by defense team to test out trial scenarios, lawyer says
Saturday 20 November 2021 09:03 , Holly Bancroft
The lead lawyer on Kyle Rittenhouse’s defense team has said that the decision to have the teenager testify at trial “wasn’t a close call”.
Rittenhouse’s testimony on the witness stand was a key part of the trial. He spoke, through sobs and gulps for air, about the moment he shot three men in Kenosha, Wisconsin. His emotional reaction drew criticism from some who claimed he cried on the stand to win the jury’s sympathy.
It has emerged that Rittenhouse’s defense team tested the idea of him testifying with mock juries.
They ran two mock juries before the trial, one with Rittenhouse taking the witness stand and one without.
Mark Richards, the lead defense laywer, said after the verdict: “At certain points, we wondered whether we would put him on.
“It was substantially better with him testifying - I mean, to a marked degree. And that sealed it.”
Mr Richards hit back at critics who said that Rittenhouse had played to the jury; saying that he was now in counselling for PTSD and had trouble sleeping.
“When we prepared Kyle and we worked on his testimony, there were things that we couldn’t talk about in my office, because it got too emotional and he couldn’t handle it,” he said.
Family of man shot dead: ‘There was no justice today’
Saturday 20 November 2021 08:37 , Holly Bancroft
The family of Anthony Huber, one of the men that was shot dead by teenager Kyle Rittenhouse, said they were “heartbroken and angry” in a statement released after the court verdict.
John Huber and Karen Bloom, Anthony’s parents, said “there was no justice today” for their son and the other two men shot last year by Rittenhouse.
Joseph Rosenbaum was also killed and Gaige Grosskreutz was wounded during the confrontation.
The family of Anthony Huber said in a statement: “Today’s verdict means there is no accountability for the person who murdered our son.
“It send the unacceptable message that armed civilians can show up in any town, incite violence, and then use the danger they have created to justify shooting people in the street.
“We hope that decent people will join us in forcefully rejecting that message and demanding more of our laws, our officials, and our justice system.”
ICYMI: Biden angry after Kyle Rittenhouse cleared of shootings
Saturday 20 November 2021 08:21 , Holly Bancroft
US President Joe Biden has said that he is angry and concerned after Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty of intentional homicide in a trial that has gripped America.
The teenager shot dead two men during racial unrest last year in Wisconsin.
The president told reporters that he supported the jury’s decision to find Rittenhouse not guilty on all charges. He told them: “I stand by what the jury has concluded. The jury system works and we have to abide by it.”
But he later released a statement saying: “While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken.”
Read the full statement here:
While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken. I ran on a promise to bring Americans together, because I believe that what unites us is far greater than what divides us. I know that we’re not going to heal our country’s wounds overnight, but I remain steadfast in my commitment to do everything in my power to ensure that every American is treated equally, with fairness and dignity, under the law.
I urge everyone to express their views peacefully, consistent with the rule of law. Violence and destruction of property have no place in our democracy. The White House and Federal authorities have been in contact with Governor Evers’s office to prepare for any outcome in this case, and I have spoken with the Governor this afternoon and offered support and any assistance needed to ensure public safety.
Protests spring up after Kyle Rittenhouse is acquitted on all counts
Saturday 20 November 2021 08:04 , Holly Bancroft
Small groups of protesters demonstrated against the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict on Friday night in Chicago, New York, Portland and a number of other cities.
Demonstrations around the country were peaceful, with the exception of Portland were some windows were broken and doors damaged.
In Portland, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office declared a riot near the Multnomah County Justice Centre, with the facilities being damaged by protesters.
Several dozen people gathered in downtown in Chicago to protest the jury’s verdict. A number of protesters also gathered outside the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York.
In Columbus, Ohio, around 100 protesters joined a march and gathered outside the statehouse, according to a video posted online by the Ohio State University student newspaper.
Wisconsin state assembly speaker Robin Vos says case is ‘proof that our justice system works’
Saturday 20 November 2021 08:00 , Peony Hirwani
Wisconsin’s state assembly speaker Robin Vos has said that the Rittenhouse verdict is proof that “our justice system works.”
“Today’s unanimous verdict may be shocking for some, but for many others, it is proof that our justice system works. The right to a trial by a jury of your peers is a fundamental part of the checks and balances in our country,” he tweeted.
“Let’s hope politicians and activists who disagree with the verdict don’t use this as an opportunity to sew more division and destruction in our community,” he added.
He concluded by urging “peace and unity” over “violence and destruction”.
Rebecca Kleefisch, who is running to be the Governor of Wisconsin, also wrote: “Our justice system worked today. The prosecution in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial was a complete disgrace, praising the mob who burned our streets as ‘heroes.’”
Rittenhouse says jury reached correct verdict in Fox video clip
Saturday 20 November 2021 07:46 , Holly Bancroft
A video clip, aired on Friday night on the Fox news programme “Tucker Carlson Tonight”, showed Kyle Rittenhouse speaking from inside a car directly after he was found not guilty of all charges.
He is asked by the cameraman how he was feeling and replied: “The jury reached the correct verdict. Self-defense in not illegal.”
He continued: “I believe they came to the correct verdict and I’m glad that everything went well.
“It’s been a rough journey, but we made it through it. We made it through the hard part.”
His remarks come from a documentary programme filmed for the series “Tucker Carlson Original”.
Kyle Rittenhouse will appear on Carlon’s Fox News show on November 22 and the documentary shall be aired next month.
Fox news promised in a statement that “the documentary will include additional portions of the interview as well as exclusive behind-the-scenes access to Rittenhouse and his defense team.”
In the video trailer for the documentary, Kyle Rittenhouse confesses that he had been having dreams about what happened “every single night”.
He added: “It’s quite scary, actually, because the dreams feel so real and they’re not the same at all.
“They’re all different. They’re the different scenarios that run through your head during the daylight of what could’ve happened... It’s bad, but almost every outcome is me getting seriously injured or hurt or dead.”
Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett says ‘the law has to be changed’
Saturday 20 November 2021 07:30 , Peony Hirwani
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has issued a statement regarding the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict.He said: “How can we as a society tell an individual, put yourself in a place that’s inherently dangerous, and you can kill someone?”“Without a doubt, laws have to be changed so that its clear that underage children cannot bring semi-automatic weapons into the public,” he added.“I think what happened there was horrible, it was tragic, and we as a society cannot allow this.”The mayor concluded: “We have to peacefully move forward”.
Video recirculates of Trump defending Rittenhouse after verdict announced
Saturday 20 November 2021 07:00 , Josh Marcus
Video is recirculating of comments Donald Trump made last summer, seeming to defend Kyle Rittenhouse in the immediate aftermath of the 18-year-old shooting three people during racial justice protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
“He was trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like,” Mr Trump says in the August 2020 clip. “I guess he was in very big trouble. He probably would have been killed.”
Kyle Rittenhouse verdict shows US ‘addiction’ to white supremacy, Jemele Hill
Saturday 20 November 2021 06:30 , Josh Marcus
Sports and culture commentator Jemele Hill said on Friday that Kyle Rittenhouse’s not guilty verdict showed the US’s “addition” to white supremacy.“The Kyle Rittenhouse verdict, that several states have enacted laws that allow motorists immunity if they hit protestors with their cars, is about this country’s addiction to maintaining white supremacy at all costs,” the Atlantic contributor wrote on Twitter. “It’s on brand, and in line with who America always has been.”
Earlier this year we wrote about some of those new anti-protestor laws.
Deona Marie and the epidemic of car attacks against racial justice activists
DOJ may review Rittenhouse case, its latest probe into a high-profile 2020 civil rights case
Saturday 20 November 2021 06:00 , Josh Marcus
The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee blasted the verdict released on Friday in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse and called for the Justice Department to review the court decision.
Judiciary chair wants DOJ to review Rittenhouse verdict: ‘A miscarriage of justice’
It wouldn’t be the first time in recent months the DOJ has probed a high-profile case that arose from last summer’s racial justice uprisings around the country. In May, the Justice Department indicted four former Minneapolis police officers on federal civil rights over the murder of George Floyd.
Four ex-officers in George Floyd death indicted on federal civil rights charges
Who is Jacob Blake, whose shooting triggered the original Kenosha protests?
Saturday 20 November 2021 05:30 , Josh Marcus
Kyle Rittenhouse would’ve never been in Kenosha had it not been for the August 2020 shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was severely injured following the incident.
Here’s more on this crucial background for the Rittenhouse case.
No charges brought against Kenosha officer Rusten Sheskey who shot Jacob Blake
How are commentators reacting to the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict
Saturday 20 November 2021 05:00 , Josh Marcus
The Kyle Rittenhouse verdict has sent shockwaves through the country, after the 18-year-old was found not guilty on all charges for shooting three people during 2020 racial justice protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin.The Independent has been following the reaction in Kenosha, Washington, Hollywood, and beyond.
Kenosha reacts as Kyle Rittenhouse acquitted of killings
Donald Trump congratulates Kyle Rittenhouse on acquittal
Kamala Harris says Kyle Rittenhouse verdict ‘speaks for itself’
Furious reaction to verdict as ‘disgusted’ and ‘not surprised’ trend on Twitter
Squad blasts Kyle Rittenhouse verdict as AOC says ‘my heart breaks’
ICYMI: Kyle Rittenhouse verdict: Shooter found not guilty on all charges in homicide trial
Saturday 20 November 2021 04:30 , Josh Marcus
Kyle Rittenhouse has been found not guilty on all five charges in his homicide trial for shooting dead two men and seriously wounding a third during a night of unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last summer.
The jury returned its verdict on Friday afternoon after spending four days deliberating on the charges.
Mr Rittenhouse, 18, began shaking uncontrollably, before his knees appeared to give way and he collapsed to his seat as he learned he would walk out of court a free man.
The Independent has all the details on this high-profile verdict.
Kyle Rittenhouse found not guilty on all charges in homicide trial
A defining image: Rittenhouse nearly crumbles out of picture
Saturday 20 November 2021 04:00 , Josh Marcus
As the last of five “not guilty” verdicts were read aloud on Friday, Kyle Rittenhouse shook with sobs and collapsed, nearly falling out of sight of the television camera fixed on him in a Wisconsin courtroom.
It was instantly the defining image of the 18-year-old’s murder trial, which became such a subject of passionate debate about guns and justice that major broadcast and cable news networks set aside regular programming to reveal the jury’s decision.
Read the full story of this enduring photo:
A defining image: Rittenhouse nearly crumbles out of picture
Voices: Why I couldn’t bring myself to watch the trial of another white vigilante
Saturday 20 November 2021 03:30 , Josh Marcus
When asked about the verdict, President Joe Biden offered an expected but no less disappointing response. “Look, I stand by what the jury has concluded,” Biden said. “The jury system works, and we have to abide by it.”
It’s amazing to hear anyone say that with a straight face in 2021 but it feels even sillier coming from the man with a Black woman as his vice president. How many more examples do we need to see how untrue that is? Or better yet, how many more do people like Joe Biden stop pretending there isn’t a real problem?
This rhetoric along with the thinking behind it is largely why I could not bring myself to watch the trial of another white vigilante. George Zimmerman being acquitted of Trayvon Martin stripped me of any lingering hope that perhaps this country could live up to what it claims to be. However, as soon as conservatives took up Rittenhouse’s cause, as they did with Zimmerman, it was easy to see where this was going.
Read Michael Arceneaux’s powerful Indy Voices piece.
Why I couldn’t bring myself to watch the trial of another white vigilante
Honestly, there’s a decent chance The Onion is right on this one
Saturday 20 November 2021 03:00 , Josh Marcus
Kyle Rittenhouse became a right-wing celebrity even before his trial, and even though they’re a satirical news site, The Onion may be on to something when they joke that Mr Rittenhouse has been sentenced to a regular speaking slot at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
The 18-year-old, who was acquitted on all charges on Friday, has said he wants to live a normal life and continue his studies now that the trial is over.
David Hancock: Kyle Rittenhouse spokesperson says he wants ‘normal’ life
That life, perhaps, will begin in a few weeks, as Rittenhouse has an interview scheduled with conservative Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson set for Monday.
Kyle Rittenhouse to tell his story to Tucker Carlson on Fox News
The CPAC conference, an annual gathering of top conservatives, isn’t afraid to invite controversial speakers.
New York governor Kathy Hochul calls for stronger gun laws after Rittenhouse verdict
Saturday 20 November 2021 02:35 , Josh Marcus
New York governor Kathy Hochul called for stronger gun control laws in the wake of the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict.
“If there was any question about why we need strong gun safety laws, this is your answer,” she said on Friday on Twitter. “This should never have been allowed to happen in the first place.”
Mr Rittenhouse had initially been charged with a misdemeanor count of possessing an AR-15 style under the age of 18, but that was the court dropped the charge earlier this week on a technicality.
Judge dismisses misdemeanor gun charge in Rittenhouse homicide trial
Kamala Harris says Rittenhouse verdict ‘speaks for itself’ and shows there is more to do make justice system ‘more equitable’
Saturday 20 November 2021 02:05 , Josh Marcus
Kamala Harris says the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict “speaks for itself” and shows that America has more to do make its justice system “more equitable.”
The vice president was asked about the teenager’s acquittal over killing two protesters and injuring another during the 2020 Kenosha protests, as she boarded Air Force Two in Columbus, Ohio.
“My impressions about the verdict is that the verdict really speaks for itself. As many of you know I’ve spent a majority of my career working to make the criminal justice system more equitable and clearly there’s a lot more work to do,” she said.
The Independent’s Graeme Massie has the full story.
Kamala Harris says Kyle Rittenhouse verdict ‘speaks for itself’
READ: Joe Biden’s full statement on the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict
Saturday 20 November 2021 01:40 , Josh Marcus
The president weighed in on the controversial Kyle Rittnehouse verdict on Friday, writing in a White House statement that the decision to find the 18-year-old not guilty on all charges after shooting three people left him “feeling angry and concerned.”
Read the full statement below:
While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken. I ran on a promise to bring Americans together, because I believe that what unites us is far greater than what divides us. I know that we’re not going to heal our country’s wounds overnight, but I remain steadfast in my commitment to do everything in my power to ensure that every American is treated equally, with fairness and dignity, under the law.
I urge everyone to express their views peacefully, consistent with the rule of law. Violence and destruction of property have no place in our democracy. The White House and Federal authorities have been in contact with Governor Evers’s office to prepare for any outcome in this case, and I have spoken with the Governor this afternoon and offered support and any assistance needed to ensure public safety.
What’s next for Kyle Rittenhouse: Leaving Kenosha as college, Congress and a bitter battle over his $2m bond awaits
Saturday 20 November 2021 01:11 , Josh Marcus
After avoiding a possible life behind bars, Kyle Rittenhouse left Kenosha courthouse a free man to pursue a potential life of either nursing, politics or relative anonymity.
But his acquittal of first-degree intentional homicide may not end his legal woes as a battle brews over who gets the $2m raised for his bond, and his case is referred to the Department of Justice for possible federal charges.
The Independent’s Justin Vallejo has all the details.
Next for Rittenhouse: College, Congress and a bitter battle over his $2m bond awaits
Rittenhouse would have got life sentence if he was Black, says Nascar racer Bubba Wallace
Saturday 20 November 2021 00:50 , Josh Marcus
Kyle Rittenhouse would have been given a life sentence or shot dead if he had been Black, Nascar driver Bubba Wallace said on Friday.
“Let the boy be black and it would’ve been life… hell he would’ve had his life taken before the bulls*** trial,” Wallace wrote in a tweet after Rittenhouse was found not guilty of the homicide of Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber on Friday.
“Sad,” he added.The Independent’s Bevan Hurley has more.
Rittenhouse would have got life if he was Black, says Nascar racer Bubba Wallace
Trump congratulates Rittenhouse on acquittal: ‘If that’s not self defense, nothing is’
Saturday 20 November 2021 00:28 , Josh Marcus
Donald Trump has congratulated Kyle Rittenhouse for his homicide acquittal for shooting and killing two protesters and wounding another.The Independent’s Graeme Massie is following this one.
