Judge Bruce Schroeder, who is overseeing the Kyle Rittenhouse murder trial, slammed the media on Wednesday for its “grossly irresponsible” coverage of the proceedings as the jury deliberated for a second day.
“When I talked about problems with the media when this trial started, we’re there in part,” he said. “Not fully, but in part because of grossly irresponsible handling of what comes out of this trial.”
He added that he will think “long and hard” about televising future trials.
“I’ve always been a firm believer in it because I believe the people should be able to see what’s going on but when I see what’s being done it’s really quite frightening,” he said.
Judge Bruce Schroeder called out the media on Wednesday, saying he’ll think twice about live broadcasting one of his trials again due to “grossly” irresponsible reporting on rulings in #KyleRittenhouse‘s case. @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/u920Wxse5w
— Law&Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) November 17, 2021
Schroeder called out news stories about his decisions to ban the men Rittenhouse shot from being referred to as “victims” and to allow Rittenhouse to randomly select juror numbers out of a tumbler to determine which jurors were alternates, as well as the fact that the judge has not yet ruled on a defense motion for a mistrial.
Schroeder said he hadn’t yet read the motion to dismiss because he had just received it on Tuesday.
“It’s just a shame that irresponsible statements are being made,” Schroeder said, pointing specifically to comments in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article from law school professors about him having not yet ruled on the mistrial motion.
The jury began deliberations Tuesday after a two-week trial in which Rittenhouse and his attorneys tried to prove that he was acting in self-defense when he fatally shot two men and injured another during riots in Kenosha, Wisc. in August 2020.
Rittenhouse faces several charges, including first-degree reckless as well as intentional homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree recklessly endangering safety, and failure to comply with an emergency order from state or local government. Schroeder dropped a lesser weapons possession charge on Monday, saying the law, which prohibits minors from possessing certain firearms, was too poorly written to be enforceable.
Ahead of Monday’s closing arguments, Rittenhouse’s attorneys filed an updated motion for mistrial with prejudice, claiming that multiple prosecutorial infractions had occurred, including withholding evidence pertinent to the case, attempting to use banned evidence, and violating the defendant’s fifth amendment rights.
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