Kyle Rittenhouse trial: Defence says teenage shooter could have been beheaded by skateboard
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Kyle Rittenhouse’s trial began Tuesday with opening arguments, just a day after the judge presiding over the case established a jury.
Opening remarks began Tuesday morning, with Kenosha County District Attorney Thomas Binger relating the events of the night of the shooting and claiming Mr Rittenhouse went looking for conflict. Mr Rittenhouse’s defense attorney, Mark Richards, argued that he was running away from attackers who were “enraged” and trying to “separate his head from his body” with a skateboard.
Mr Rittenhouse faces seven charges - including first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree reckless homicide - after he shot and killed two men and injured a third during a racial justice protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Mr Rittenhouse’s lawyers are expected to argue that he killed in self defense.
The men Mr Rittenhouse shot were Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, who both died following the incident. Gaige Grosskreutzm, 26, was wounded but survived.
The case became yet another flashpoint for political polarisation in the US; some people on the left saw Mr Rittenhouse as a heartless killer who brought an AR-15 to a racial justice protest, while some people on the right - including right wing media figures - portrayed him as a young man simply protecting himself from riotous mobs.
Due to the divisive nature of the case, nearly a dozen jurors were dismissed after they revealed they had biased views on the case or questioned their ability to deliver a fair verdict. Some potential jurors also reportedly did not want to participate over fear of violent backlash from the supporters and enemies of Mr Rittenhouse.
The trial has already sparked frustration, as Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder told the prosecution that they could not refer to the men Mr Rittenhouse killed as “the victims” because it is a “loaded term,” but could refer to them as “looters” or “rioters.”
Jurors selected after a long day winnowing out prospects
Opening statements in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial will begin today.
A jury was put in place yesterday after a long selection process intended to weed out potentially biased jurors.
Around a dozen potential jurors were dismissed on Monday after they either revealed their biases or expressed concern that they could not offer a fair verdict. Others said they did not want to sit on the jury for fear of violent backlash from supporters or enemies of Mr Rittenhouse.
Ultimately 20 jurors, 11 women and nine men, were selected for the trial.
“No one wants to be sitting in this chair,” one woman said during the selection.
A timeline of events
Kyle Rittenhouse’s trial begins today as both sides prepare to deliver their opening statements.
The Independent’s Alex Woodward has compiled a timeline of the events - beginning with the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin - that have led to today’s trial.
What’s at stake in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse
Teen has pleaded not guilty after fatally shooting two people and injuring another during uprisings in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 2020
Kyle Rittenhouse jury includes more women then men, only one person of colour
The jury selected for the Kyle Rittenhouse trial is made up of 11 women, nine men, and one person of colour.
Mr Rittenhouse shot two men and wounded a third during racial justice protests following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
About 75 per cent of the population of Kenosha, Wisconsin are white.
Kenosha County District Attorney begins opening remarks
Kenosha County District Attorney Thomas Binger has begun his opening remarks in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse.
“The evidence in this case will show...the defendant, Kyle Rittenhouse ... using that rifle, shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum, an unarmed man,” he said in his opening statement.
“Tourists outside of our community were drawn to the chaos,” he said, referring to Mr Rittenhouse, who traveled to the city from Illinois to be present during the racial justice protest in Kenosha.
Kenosha County District Attorney says Rittenhouse only person to kill anyone on night of protests
Kenosha County District Attorney Thomas Binger said during his opening remarks that Kyle Rittenhouse was the only person to kill anyone the night of the racial justice protest in Kenosha, even though hundreds of other people were involved.
“Hundreds of people experienced those nights,” he said. “The only person who killed anyone was the defendant, Kyle Rittenhouse.”
Mr Binger has repeated that claim several times during his opening remarks.
Rittenhouse “crossed police line” and did not try to help the man he shot despite describing himself as a medic, according to prosecutor
Kenosha County District Attorney Thomas Binger said during his opening statements that Kyle Rittenhouse crossed the police line separating protesters on the night of the shooting, claiming he intentionally put himself in a situation where conflict was likely to occur.
He also dismissed the claims that Mr Rittenhouse attended the protest as a medic, noting that he did not try to administer aid to those he shot on the night of the incident.
Prosecution and defense argue over opening statement details
Kyle Rittenhouse’s defense attorney, Mark Richards, has yet to start his opening statement due to a challenge from the prosecutor arguing he was planning on using irrelevant information in his remarks.
Mr Richards wanted to emphasise that Joseph Rosenbaum had just left an overnight stay at a hospital for mental health treatment prior to his death. District Attorney Thomas Binger argued that the nature of his hospital stay was irrelevant because Mr Rosenbaum is not on trial.
The inclusion of the hospital only has significance on the case because the bag he threw at Mr Rittenhouse was a hospital overnight bag containing his personal items.
The jury has returned to the courtroom to hear Mr Richard’s opening statements. He has been barred from discussing the details of Mr Rosenbaum’s hospital stay.
Kyle Rittenhouse defense attorney says client was ‘only one’ chased by Joseph Rosenbaum, says man was “enraged"
Kyle Rittenhouse’s defense attorney Mark Richards began his opening statement by claiming that while his client was the only one to shoot someone that night, he was also the only one chased by Joseph Rosenbaum, who he later shot and killed.
He claimed Mr Rosenbaum became “enraged” after someone tried to put out a dumpster he claims the man lit on fire.
He also played video of Mr Rosenbaum that he claimed included him challenging people to “shoot him” and made a point of the fact that he was yelling “shoot me” along with a racial slur while participating in a racial justice protest.
Kyle Rittenhouse defense attorney claims Anthony Huber tried to decapitate Kyle Rittenhouse with a skateboard
Mark Richards, Kyle Rittenhouse’s defense attorney, claimed that Kyle Huber - one of the people Mr Rittenhouse shot and killed - tried to “separate his head from his body” with a skateboard.
He said he wished he had the skateboard to show the jury its heft, but claimed the state refused to produce the evidence.
The district attorney objected to the characterisation of Mr Huber’s actions.
Kyle Rittenhouse will testify
Defense attorney Mark Richards confirmed in his opening statements that his client, Kyle Rittenhouse, will testify during the trial.
This means Mr Rittenhouse will also be subject to cross-examination by the Kenosha county prosecutor.
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