In a particularly intense exchange last week, Schroeder chastised Binger for referencing a video that the judge had previously disallowed at the trial. The verdict came after a turbulent trial, during which prosecutor Thomas Binger and Judge Bruce Schroeder sparred over acceptable lines of questioning. Kyle Rittenhouse's reaction to the not guilty verdict: /1sW2QPPFPb Rittenhouse, who was 17 when unrest over the police shooting of Jacob Blake erupted in August 2020, testified that he fired his AR-style rifle at four people, including one unidentified man he did not hit, in self-defense. Bracing for protests over racial justice and “stand your ground”Įditor's note: This story has been updated with additional details throughout.Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.Ī jury has found Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty on all counts after he fatally shot two people and injured another amid protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last year.Democrats, activists denounce not guilty verdict in Rittenhouse case.Speaking to CNN outside the Kenosha courthouse on Friday, Justin Blake, the uncle of Jacob Blake, said: "We want the nation to know the nation that you live in now isn't the.Tony Evers had put 500 National Guard members on standby prior to the verdict. Activists worry any acquittals could embolden vigilantes who commit gun violence - especially against people of color - and then claim self-defense.What to watch: Activists and law enforcement officials have warned that the Rittenhouse trial, as well as the ongoing murder trial in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Georgia, have the ingredients to reignite racial tensions and public protests, Axios' Contreras and Margaret Talev report. Judge Bruce Schroeder drew criticism from some for his manner during the trial, which has seen him clash verbally with the prosecution and occasionally launch into verbose legal explanations, the New York Times reported.Rittenhouse also testified in his own defense. For nearly two weeks, the jury heard testimony from dozens of witnesses and experts.Rittenhouse, who was 17 years old at the time, said he traveled to Kenosha with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle to protect property and provide medical treatment amid volatile protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake. The prosecution argued Rittenhouse was the aggressor and provoked the " entire incident" that led to the shooting. "I hope everyone can accept the verdict, remain peaceful, and let the community of Kenosha heal and rebuild," Johnson added.Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) tweeted that "justice has been served." Supporters of Rittenhouse cheered as the verdict was announced, per CBS. "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.".It sends 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," they said. "Today’s verdict means there is no accountability for the person who murdered our son.Huber's family said in a statement they were heartbroken by the verdict. President Biden said in a statement that while the verdict "will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken.".The jury was overwhelmingly white, reflecting the majority-white population of Kenosha County, the New York Times notes.Julián Castro tweeted following the verdict. "You know damn well that if Kyle Rittenhouse were Black he would have been found guilty in a heartbeat-or shot dead by cops on the scene," former Democratic presidential candidate and former U.S.The big picture: Some activists and progressive-leaning people of color immediately denounced the verdict and said it highlights the systemic racism in the nation's judicial system, Axios' Russell Contreras reports. Rittenhouse initially faced six counts, but the presiding judge dismissed the possession of a dangerous weapon by a minor charge ahead of closing arguments on Monday.The jurors were given the option to consider lesser charges on some of the counts.
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