Yahoo
After the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, who as a 17-year-old fatally shot two men and wounded a third, finally closed and the jury was sent out to deliberate its verdict, a crowd of supporters stood outside the Kenosha county courthouse volleying chants in the cold November dark.
“Black Lives Matter!” one group shouted.
“Self-defense is not a crime!” the other responded.
The dueling chants crystallize what the trial has come to represent for the millions of people watching the case in Wisconsin and across America. To some, it’s a case of a gun-wielding teenager who responded to racial unrest by taking justice into his own hands and shooting three anti-racist protesters – two fatally. To others, Rittenhouse used his weapon in self-defense after he was attacked by members of a violent crowd.
As the sun rose on Tuesday above nearby Lake Michigan, the case headed to the 12 jurors who will determine what it represents in the eyes of the law. It has not unfolded smoothly, as the prosecution seems to have botched some of its witnesses and arguments and the presiding judge’s behavior has been erratic and at times betrayed an apparent sympathy to the defense.
Rittenhouse is charged with reckless homicide, intentional homicide and attempted intentional homicide. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Meanwhile, the city of Kenosha remains on standby hoping to avoid the violence that erupted in August 2020. Last week, Wisconsin’s governor, Tony Evers, mobilized 500 national guard members to assist local law enforcement should they be needed.
“There’s a sense of unease out here as we wait for the verdict. We’ve been waiting on a verdict ever since [Rittenhouse] did the shootings,” said a man outside the courthouse who identified as Xavier S and traveled from nearby Racine to show solidarity with Jacob Blake.
