Judge In Kyle Rittenhouse Murder Trial Dismisses Underage Weapons Possession Charge In Apparent Blow To Prosecution
Ahead of closing arguments on Monday (Nov. 15), the judge at the Kyle Rittenhouse murder trial dismissed a count of possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18, the Associated Press reported.
The Antioch, Ill., man was 17 when he allegedly shot and killed Anthony Huber, 26, Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz during a 2020 demonstration over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Rittenhouse was charged with two counts of homicide for their deaths.
The dangerous weapons charge is a misdemeanor but was among the multiple charges that the prosecutor appeared most likely to win a conviction against Rittenhouse.
There is no dispute that Rittenhouse fired an AR-style semi-automatic rifle at the three men. He claims it was in self-defense.
His lawyers argued that Wisconsin law had an exception that would permit the teenager to have the weapon. Their argument convinced Judge Bruce Schroeder after the prosecutor agreed on Monday that the rifle was not short-barreled.
After the unexpected announcement, the judge gave legal instructions to the jurors about the remaining charges and the law of self-defense. The prosecutor and defense lawyer were expected to make their closing remarks before jury deliberations.
The weapons possession charge carried a sentence of up to nine months in jail. Rittenhouse faces life in prison if convicted of the most serious charge against him, first-degree intentional homicide.
