Rittenhouse Takes the Stand in Own Murder Trial
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Eighteen-year old Kyle Rittenhouse, who is standing trial on homicide charges stemming from protests and violence in Wisconsin last summer, took the stand in his own defense Wednesday.
Rittenhouse said he was acting in self-defense and "didn't intend to kill" when he shot and killed two men and injured a third during a chaotic night in Kenosha last August. He also described how he went to Kenosha with a rifle and medical supplies to try to defend businesses and help wounded people amid the violence. Rittenhouse began sobbing and struggling to speak at one point during the testimony, prompting the judge to call a brief recess. The defense then called for a mistrial over the prosecution's purportedly out-of-line questioning; the judge didn't immediately respond to the request. At the end of Wednesday's court, the judge said he was confident the case would be finished by early next week.
Rittenhouse's testimony was covered prominently across the spectrum. Many sources, regardless of bias rating, offered balanced and thorough reporting of the courtroom situation, details of the case, and various testimonies. Right-rated outlets often highlighted how the judge criticized the prosecution's line of questioning and accusing the chief prosecutor of a "grave constitutional violation." Some left-rated sources framed Rittenhouse's statement that he "didn't do anything wrong" skeptically.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
Judge Shuts Down Rittenhouse Prosecutor’s Questioning For Possible ‘Grave Constitutional Violation’Judge Bruce Schroeder shut down the Kyle Rittenhouse prosecutor’s questioning for a possible “grave Constitutional violation” Wednesday after the prosecution allegedly abridged Rittenhouse’s right to remain silent.
Prosecutor Thomas Binger was questioning Rittenhouse on his use of deadly force before he began asking Rittenhouse whether he has had the opportunity to listen to witness testimony, read articles about the case, or watch videos of the fatal interactions.
Rittenhouse agreed with the prosecution that he had intentionally used deadly force against Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber. Binger then asked whether Rittenhouse intended to kill...
From the Left
Rittenhouse: ‘I didn’t do anything wrong. I defended myself’Kyle Rittenhouse testified Wednesday he was under attack when he killed two men and wounded a third with his rifle during a chaotic night of protests in Kenosha, saying: “I didn’t do anything wrong. I defended myself.”
In a high-stakes gamble, the 18-year-old took the stand at his murder trial to tell his side of what happened on the streets that day in the summer of 2020, sobbing so hard at one point that the judge called a break.
In an account largely corroborated by video and the prosecution’s own...
From the Left
Kyle Rittenhouse Testified He "Didn't Do Anything Wrong" When He Fatally Shot Two PeopleKyle Rittenhouse, the teenager who shot at protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last year and killed two people, took the stand in his murder trial Wednesday, testifying that he "didn't do anything wrong" and was acting in self-defense.
"I didn't intend to kill them. I intended to stop the people who were attacking me," Rittenhouse said about the shooting on Aug. 25, 2020.
Rittenhouse, who was 17 years old at the time, told prosecutors that he "used deadly force" against the victims because he perceived them to be a threat to...
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