Jury selection in Rittenhouse trial off to a slow start
KENOSHA, Wis. — Jury selection has quietly begun in the Kyle Rittenhouse murder trial with promised large protests failing to materialize outside the Kenosha Courthouse.
Rittenhouse arrived about an hour before the proceedings began, entering the building through a private garage that allowed him to avoid photographers and reporters waiting on the courthouse steps. His mother and two sisters entered through the public door.
About 150 prospective jurors were expected Monday at the courthouse, where Judge Bruce Schroeder intends to seat 12 jurors and eight alternates to hear the self-defense case. The judge has said he plans to pick the entire panel in one day, though legal experts are skeptical it could be handled that quickly.
In August 2020, Kyle Rittenhouse — a 17-year-old from north suburban Antioch — crossed state lines and volunteered to patrol downtown Kenosha, Wis., amid turmoil surrounding the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by a white police officer. Carrying an Ar-15-style rifle that police say a friend illegally purchased for him, Rittenhouse fatally shot two people and wounded a third.
Rittenhouse has pleaded not guilty, arguing he killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz in selfdefense.
Huber's father has attended all pretrial hearings via video conference, but he is not attending the trial. His attorney said the hateful rhetoric that has been directed toward the family since the shooting has made
Huber's parents so wary, they have decided to watch the proceedings online rather than in person.
“It's still too painful, and after the nasty comments and treatment they have had directed at them and Anthony, they are afraid to be there in person,” their attorney Anand Swaminathan said.
John Huber and Karen Bloom maintain their son, who was among demonstrators protesting the police shooting, is a hero who sacrificed his life to protect others. Authorities say Huber, 26, toting his skateboard, was trying to disarm Rittenhouse shortly after the teen shot and killed Rosenbaum.
They have filed a civil suit against Kenosha law enforcement, alleging authorities incited the bloodshed by allowing Rittenhouse and other armed civilians who clashed with protesters to “mete out punishment as they saw fit.”
A small group of protesters voiced support for the Huber, Rosenbaum and Grosskreutz families outside the courthouse Monday.
“We are vehement about supporting the families and making sure they get justice,” Justin Blake, the uncle of Jacob Blake, said as he stood with the group. “We know what it feels like to have an injustice done to your family and not get your day in court. These families have a tremendous burden to carry because their loved ones are not coming home ever.”
Three hours into the selection process, no one had been chosen for the jury. When the proceedings broke for lunch, the judge was in the process of hearing from potential jurors who said they already had formed unshakable opinions.