Updates From Rittenhouse Trial: Jury Is Out

KENOSHA, Wis. — After dismissing six members of the jury, the remaining 12 jurors in the Kyle Rittenhouse case have been released to deliberate. In their instructions, Judge Schroeder reminded the jury that the decision is theirs alone. He cautioned them not to factor in anyone’s opinions, even the opinions of President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump.

“You will pay no heed to the opinions of anyone, even the President of the United States or the President before him,” Schroeder told the jury.

Meanwhile, news vans line the streets outside the Kenosha courthouse, and reporters far outnumber protestors. As of Tuesday morning, a small group of Black Lives Matter activists had gathered outside the building chanting slogans. Among them was Justin Blake, a prominent activist, and the uncle of Jacob Blake, the man shot and wounded by police while in possession of a knife and resisting arrest in August of 2020, the event which precipitated widespread rioting in Kenosha during which Rittenhouse shot three men. 

We spoke to Justin Blake about his thoughts on the case. Blake characterized the case as an example of “white supremacy,” alleging that Rittenhouse’s defense is directly funded by “the clan.” While Blake was severely critical of Judge Schroeder, accusing him of “racism” — evidenced by the judge’s ringtone (“God Bless The USA”), which Blake characterized as “Trump’s theme song” — he reserved his most potent criticism for President Joe Biden, who he claims has abandoned the black voters who put him in office. “[President Biden] has failed us,” Blake proclaimed emphatically. “We’ve heard nothing from them… We will never, in my life, vote for another Democrat again. We helped flip this state blue. What did we get? What African Americans always get, nothing.” Blake insisted that now may be the time to start looking to “a third party.” 

Both the prosecution and the defense gave closing arguments in the Kyle Rittenhouse case Monday. As of Tuesday morning, the jury was instructed to begin deliberations. 

The Case Against Kyle

In their closing, the prosecution relied heavily on the “active shooter” narrative, claiming that the three men Rittenhouse shot were acting in self-defense. Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger claimed that the men who pursued and were eventually shot by Rittenhouse were “heroes” for attempting to subdue Rittenhouse out of alleged concern that he was an active shooter threat. 

The prosecution attempted to frame Rittenhouse as the initial aggressor, and paint the three

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