Kyle Rittenhouse’s homicide trial in Kenosha, Wisconsin, resumed on Friday morning to weigh potential lesser charges.
The defence rested its case on Thursday and Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Schroeder sent the jury home for the weekend before closing arguments are slated to begin on Monday.
On Friday afternoon, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced that 500 National Guard service members are prepared to assist local law enforcement in the event that unrest follows a verdict.
Wendy Rittenhouse, the defendant’s mother, appeared on Sean Hannity’s Fox News programme on Thursday night, where she praised Judge Schroeder as “very fair” after he came under scrutiny for a series of rulings perceived as biased toward the defence and made off-colour joke about Asian food as the court broke for lunch.
She also attacked President Joe Biden, accusing him of painting her son as a white supremacist in a bid to win last year’s election.
Mr Rittenhouse, 18, faces multiple charges including homicide and minor in possession of a weapon for shooting three people – two fatally – during racial justice protests in Kenosha, on 25 August 2020.
At Friday’s conference with the judge, and without the jury, prosecutors asked to consider lesser charges – in addition to the original counts – as the defence anticipates acquittal in the more-serious charges, which could impose a mandatory life sentence, if Mr Rittenhouse is convicted.
Judge Schroeder is set to make a determination over whether the jury will consider other lesser changes, including Mr Rittenhouse provoked one encounter among the men he fatally shot on 25 August 2020.
Judge Schroeder also did not rule out lesser charges involving Gaige Grosskreutz, who survived Mr Rittenhouse’s gunfire, and he will also allow two lesser charges in the killing of Anthony Huber.
The proceedings were interrupted twice by Judge Schroeder’s “God Bless The USA” ringtone, which first made an appearance on Wednesday.
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