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Another day, another twist in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse. With closing arguments set to begin later this morning, Judge Bruce Schroeder has made the decision to dismiss one of the accused shooter's misdemeanor gun charges. Chicago Tribune Columnist Rex Huppke reports that Schroeder dismissed the charge "because Rittenhouse's gun had a longer barrel than the type detailed in Wisconsin state law."
"So apparently his gun was too big to be illegal? The chances of Rittenhouse walking just increased a good bit," Huppke added.
With this dismissal, Rittenhouse avoids a fine of up to $10,000 and nine months in prison. According to CNN, the 18-year-old shooter still faces the following five felony charges
- First-degree reckless homicide, use of a dangerous weapon
- Attempted first-degree intentional homicide, use of a weapon
- First-degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon
- First-degree recklessly endangering safety, use of a dangerous weapon [2 Counts]
If convicted of the most serious charge, first-degree intentional homicide, Rittenhouse will face up to life in prison.
The remainder of Monday's court proceedings will be dedicated toward closing arguments from both the prosecution and the defense. Also, Schroeder must verbally deliver 36 pages of instructions to the jury before they begin deliberating. Not to mention, the judge must also shrink the jury pool from 18 jurors to 12 jurors. In all, the day's court proceedings will take upwards of 5-6 hours. At this time, it is difficult to predict how long the jury will take to consider the evidence in this case and come to a verdict.
Regardless of what the verdict may be, state officials have already deployed 500 National Guard troops to Kenosha, Wisconsin.
"The Kenosha community has been strong, resilient, and has come together through incredibly difficult times these past two years, and that healing is still ongoing," Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers wrote in a statement obtained by CNN.
"I urge folks who are otherwise not from the area to please respect the community by reconsidering any plans to travel there and encourage those who might choose to assemble and exercise their First Amendment rights to do so safely and peacefully."
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The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
The National Alliance on Mental Illness 1-800-950-6264
The Association of Black Psychologists 1-301-449-3082
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America 1-240-485-1001
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