The trial for a man charged with killing two men and wounding a third with an assault-style rifle during protests last summer began Tuesday morning in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Kyle Rittenhouse, now 18, formerly of Antioch, Illinois, has been charged with six felonies and one misdemeanor.A jury was seated to hear the case just after 7 p.m. Monday.It consists of 20 members — 11 women and nine men.Nineteen members of the jury are white and one is a person of color.Twelve will hear the case and decide a verdict.They will be chosen at the end of the trial.The others will serve as alternates.Rittenhouse has pleaded not guilty. He has claimed he shot three men in self-defense in August 2020 as protests ensued after the police shooting of Jacob Blake.Two of those victims died. Prosecutor Thomas Binger delivered his opening statements for nearly 35 minutes.He explained what testimony the jurors would hear and what evidence they would see.Defense attorney Mark Richards told jurors the evidence would show Rittenhouse acted in self-defense and tried to turn himself into police.As he displayed photos and brief video clips from the night of the shootings, Rittenhouse leaned on his elbows to view the images on a desktop monitor.Rittenhouse sat ramrod straight as audio of the shots fired was played for the jurors.He occasionally turned toward jurors, seeming to scrutinize their reactions.Jurors watched on a four-by-three foot TV screen set up just outside the jury box, some panelists straining their necks to get better views.Tensions seemed to fray at times between the defense and prosecutors.Earlier, during a morning recess and with the jury out of the courtroom, Binger and Richards quarreled briefly about the admissibility of evidence, including personal records of victim Joseph Rosenbaum."You opened the door" to new evidence, Richards said."No I didn't," Binger shot back.As the judge readjourned and with jurors still out of the room, Richards shook his head as Binger told the judge the defense was seeking to enter evidence about Rosenbaum seeking mental health.
The trial for a man charged with killing two men and wounding a third with an assault-style rifle during protests last summer began Tuesday morning in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Kyle Rittenhouse, now 18, formerly of Antioch, Illinois, has been charged with six felonies and one misdemeanor.
A jury was seated to hear the case just after 7 p.m. Monday.
It consists of 20 members — 11 women and nine men.
Nineteen members of the jury are white and one is a person of color.
Twelve will hear the case and decide a verdict.
They will be chosen at the end of the trial.
The others will serve as alternates.
Rittenhouse has pleaded not guilty. He has claimed he shot three men in self-defense in August 2020 as protests ensued after the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
Two of those victims died.
Prosecutor Thomas Binger delivered his opening statements for nearly 35 minutes.
He explained what testimony the jurors would hear and what evidence they would see.
Defense attorney Mark Richards told jurors the evidence would show Rittenhouse acted in self-defense and tried to turn himself into police.
As he displayed photos and brief video clips from the night of the shootings, Rittenhouse leaned on his elbows to view the images on a desktop monitor.
Rittenhouse sat ramrod straight as audio of the shots fired was played for the jurors.
He occasionally turned toward jurors, seeming to scrutinize their reactions.
Jurors watched on a four-by-three foot TV screen set up just outside the jury box, some panelists straining their necks to get better views.
Tensions seemed to fray at times between the defense and prosecutors.
Earlier, during a morning recess and with the jury out of the courtroom, Binger and Richards quarreled briefly about the admissibility of evidence, including personal records of victim Joseph Rosenbaum.
"You opened the door" to new evidence, Richards said.
"No I didn't," Binger shot back.
As the judge readjourned and with jurors still out of the room, Richards shook his head as Binger told the judge the defense was seeking to enter evidence about Rosenbaum seeking mental health.
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