Kyle Rittenhouse Trial: Judge Dismisses Gun Charge Before Closing Arguments Begin

CHICAGO (CBS)– Ahead of closing arguments and assemblage deliberations successful the Kyle Rittenhouse proceedings successful Kenosha, the justice dismissed an amerciable weapon possession complaint against the teen.

While discussing the instructions that volition beryllium fixed to the assemblage connected Monday, Judge Bruce Schroeder dismissed a number of possession of a unsafe limb by a idiosyncratic nether 18 against Rittenhouse.

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While lone a misdemeanor charge, it appeared to beryllium the astir apt number to effect successful a condemnation for Rittenhouse, who was lone 17 erstwhile helium carried an AR-15 benignant firearm successful Kenosha connected Aug. 25, 2020, and utilized it to sprout 3 men, sidesplitting 2 of them.

Defense attorneys argued Wisconsin authorities instrumentality has an objection that would let 17-year-olds to openly transportation firearms if they are not short-barreled rifles, with a tube of little than 16 inches and an wide magnitude of little than 26 inches.

Schroeder said the Wisconsin instrumentality was poorly written, and that the shorter tube size of the firearm Rittenhouse carried meant helium didn’t interruption that law. Although prosecutors said they disagreed with the judge’s mentation of the law, they conceded Rittenhouse’s limb was not a short-barreled rifle, and Schroeder dismissed that count.

The dismissal of the weapon complaint against Rittenhouse leaves 5 counts for the assemblage to consider, ranging from intentional homicide to recklessly endangering safety.

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Prosecutors and defence attorneys volition contiguous their closing arguments to the assemblage Monday. Both the defence and the prosecution volition person 2 and a fractional hours for closing arguments.

Then the lawsuit goes to the jury.

There’s nary question Rittenhouse changeable anyone. However, jurors indispensable determine whether Rittenhouse fired successful self-defense, arsenic his attorneys claim, oregon was acting arsenic a a vigilante, arsenic prosecutors argue. The assemblage volition beryllium allowed to see immoderate lesser charges successful summation to those prosecutors primitively brought against him. Judge Bruce Schroeder said helium would contented last rulings connected Saturday astir which lesser charges the assemblage could consider.

Rittenhouse, who was 17 erstwhile helium fatally changeable 2 protesters and wounded a 3rd successful August 2020 during a chaotic nighttime of protests successful Kenosha implicit the constabulary shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, testified that helium had acted successful self-defense.

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It was connected the 3rd nighttime of protests and unrest successful Kenosha erstwhile Rittenhouse changeable and killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz.