NOT GUILTY RITTENHOUSE TRIAL

But Rittenhouse was well-prepared, well-rehearsed when he got on the stand. It's something that can certainly backfire under intense cross-examination. And it was acknowledged as much by Mark Richards, Rittenhouse's defense attorney. This is often considered a risky move, especially for someone who just turned 18 years old. SIMON: Rittenhouse took the stand and testified that he acted in self-defense. JULIUS KIM: I think that when the jury saw all that happening and then read the instructions where they're asked if Kyle Rittenhouse reasonably believed that he was in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm at the time these incidents occurred, they just weren't convinced that he wasn't or that he didn't believe that. And it showed Grosskreutz with a gun, and he himself testified that he pointed that gun at Rittenhouse. It showed Huber trying to hit Rittenhouse with his skateboard.

And he says that the video evidence was key because it showed that Rosenbaum was chasing Rittenhouse in a menacing way. Julius Kim is a former prosecutor who's now a criminal defense attorney in the Milwaukee area.

NOT GUILTY RITTENHOUSE TRIAL

But the defense argued throughout the trial consistently and ultimately successfully that Rittenhouse acted in self-defense when he shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum, Anthony Huber, and then shot and seriously hurt Gaige Grosskreutz. And the prosecution emphasized that in all this chaos, he's the only one there to shoot at people. SCHAPER: Yeah, well, you know, prosecutors really tried to show that Rittenhouse recklessly put himself and others in danger by coming to Kenosha during these violent and destructive riots, by arming himself with this AR-15-style rifle. SIMON: From what you've been able to glean, can you help us understand why they reached the decision they did? David, thanks for being with us.ĭAVID SCHAPER, BYLINE: Good morning, Scott. Joining us now from Kenosha is NPR's David Schaper. Rittenhouse shot and killed two men and wounded a third last year during protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, who is Black.

A jury in Kenosha, Wis., found Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty of reckless homicide, intentional homicide and three other charges.

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