Here & Now

The Rittenhouse Trial Starts in Kenosha

Frederica Freyberg:

The trial of a teenager who shot three people, killing two and injuring a third during a riot in downtown Kenosha in 2020 got underway this week. Kyle Rittenhouse is charged with six counts, including first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree reckless homicide. Rittenhouse was 17 at the time of the shooting. He pleaded not guilty and is claiming self-defense. We turn to Wisconsin Public Radio reporter Corri Hess, who has been following the trial this week. She joins us now after covering the trial from the Kenosha County courthouse. Thanks very much for being here.

Corri Hess:

Thank you.

Frederica Freyberg:

Why does this trial have the eyes of the nation on it?

Corri Hess:

I think that there’s so much interest in this trial nationally because so much of it played out on video. There’s so much video and really all of that has been the star witness this whole week. Jurors have watched just hours of this video that was taken by protestors and journalists. I mean, it’s grainy and sometimes it’s really graphic video of Kyle Rittenhouse throughout the night on August 25, 2020, shooting and killing Joseph Rosenbaum and then also Anthony Huber and then shooting Gaige Grosskreutz. They’ve seen all these different angles but over the last 14 months the nation has seen these videos on social media. So I think that’s why there’s so much interest in this case.

Frederica Freyberg:

As you say, the testimony and presentation of this video footage from the night of the shootings are happening inside the courthouse for the jury. What’s happening outside the courthouse?

Corri Hess:

You know, I think there was an expectation that there could have been armed militia coming to Kenosha or trouble outside of the courthouse, but that really hasn’t been the case. On Monday morning there were some people, but there isn’t too much going on outside of the courthouse. Justin Blake, who is Jacob Blake’s uncle. Jacob Blake, of course is the man who Kenosha police shot seven times and is now paralyzed, he’s been out there, but otherwise it’s been pretty quiet outside the courthouse.

Frederica Freyberg:

Describe what Kyle Rittenhouse’s defense is.

Corri Hess:

The defense is that Kyle was there to protect the city after looting had happened in the days before and that he came and wanted to just be this protector and that he was defending himself when he killed two people and wounded another.

Frederica Freyberg:

And alternatively what is the prosecution trying to prove happened here?

Corri Hess:

The prosecution is trying to prove that he was this massively-armed teen who was, you know, in over his head. He came and just like this trigger-happy kid who started killing.

Frederica Freyberg:

Now, there was something that happened this week during the trial and that was that a juror was removed. What was that about?

Corri Hess:

Yes. That happened yesterday morning. Well, he was removed yesterday morning. I believe it happened the evening before. So this juror, he was an older white gentleman, was telling a law enforcement officer a tasteless joke which was basically — he was saying, you know, why hadn’t Jacob Blake been shot more and the answer to his joke was the police ran out of bullets. So he was removed.

Frederica Freyberg:

Very difficult, I imagine, to try to keep bias out of this trial so that it is a fair trial. What is the racial makeup of the jury?

Corri Hess:

So the racial makeup, they started with a jury pool of 20, and 12 jurors will vote. And so only one person on the jury is a person of color. Of course, Kenosha is very white. It’s about 75% to 80% white. So it’s not that unusual that there’s only one person of color, but, you know, it is worth noting because of what this whole case is. And when the gentleman was removed yesterday, you know, he was leaving the courtroom and saying that his joke had nothing to do with the case. But, you know, of course it did.

Frederica Freyberg:

Yeah. And you’ll be covering this trial for its duration?

Corri Hess:

Yes. The prosecutor says that he plans to wrap up his side on Tuesday, and they’re anticipating another week and a few more days. So possibly like maybe the 16th or so this could wrap up by.

Frederica Freyberg:

All right.

Corri Hess:

That’s just a guess.

Frederica Freyberg:

Of course. Corri Hess, thanks very much for covering it and for joining us.

Corri Hess:

Thank you for having me.