The jury in the Kyle Rittenhouse case is already on its second day of deliberations

 

The jury in the "Kyle Rittenhouse" case is already on its second day of deliberations.

The jury in the "Kyle Rittenhouse" case is already on its second day of deliberations

On Wednesday in Kenosha, Wisconsin, jurors began their second day of deliberations in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial. The jury deliberated all day Tuesday without reaching a decision, and they notified the court that they would return in the morning to complete their investigation.

In the August 2020 shootings in Kenosha that killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and injured Gaige Grosskreutz after a tumultuous night of protests following the police death of Jacob Blake, Rittenhouse faces five felony counts.

Rittenhouse, then 17 years old, maintains he was acting in self-defense. He stated that he traveled to Kenosha equipped with an AR-15 like weapon to assist with the protection of local businesses and to offer first aid. Last week, he testified in his own defense, breaking down in tears when his lawyers questioned him about why he fatally shot Rosenbaum.

Rittenhouse told the court, "I didn't do anything illegal; I was protecting myself".

The prosecution, on the other hand, has presented Rittenhouse as the aggressor and shown video from the event in an attempt to establish that he was the one who instigated the assault. Prosecutors have the burden of proof in this case to show that the shooting was not justifiable.

During the two weeks of testimony, the jury heard from over 30 witnesses.

After a group of 18 jurors was reduced down to 12, deliberations began Tuesday morning. Six pieces of paper from a lottery tumbler were chosen by Rittenhouse himself to designate the alternate jurors. A courtroom clerk, not the defendant, is normally in charge of this responsibility. Judge Bruce Schroeder stated that he has been requiring defendants to do so for "at least 20 years."

Jurors were chosen from a pool of seven women and five men, all of whom seemed to be white.

Opposing groups of demonstrators for and against a guilty conviction have gathered outside the Kenosha County courtroom, and 500 National Guard troops are on standby in anticipation of probable disturbance once a verdict is made.

What charges are already there?

Charge 1: For the death of Joseph Rosenbaum, first-degree reckless murder with the use of a deadly weapon.

Charge 2: Use of a hazardous weapon in the first degree recklessly endangering safety.

Charge 3: For the death of Anthony Huber, first-degree deliberate murder with the use of a deadly weapon.

Charge 4: For the shooting of Gaige Grosskreutz, attempted first-degree intentional murder with a dangerous weapon.

Charge 5: Use of a hazardous weapon in the first degree recklessly endangering safety.