Watch: Rittenhouse Judge Comes Unglued on Prosecution After They Make Multiple Trial Transgressions
Kenosha Circuit Court Judge Bruce Schroeder rebuked Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger on Wednesday in a fiery collision as Kyle Rittenhouse took the stand in his own defense.
Rittenhouse, 18, is charged with reckless and intentional homicides in the deaths of Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, and attempted homicide for wounding Gaige Grosskreutz during last year’s Kenosha riots. Rittenhouse was 17 at the time of the incident, which took place as riots had left multiple businesses ablaze in the Wisconsin community.
Wednesday’s fireworks erupted after the judge took issue with Binger’s questioning of Rittenhouse. Binger asked Rittenhouse if he was telling his side of the incident for the first time.
Schroeder, after sending the jury out of the courtroom, said it was a “grave constitutional violation” for Binger to talk about Rittenhouse’s right to not speak, according to Newsweek.
“You’re right on the borderline. You may be over. But it better stop,” the judge warned.
Binger drew the judge’s ire again when asking about an incident that had already been excluded under a pre-trial order.
NOW – Judge in Rittenhouse trial screams at the prosecutor. pic.twitter.com/UBxDTwVIoT
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) November 10, 2021
“Why would think that that made it OK for you without any advance notice to bring this matter before the jury?” the judge asked.
“You are already — I was astonished when you began your examination by commenting on the defendant’s post-arrest silence. That’s basic law. It’s been basic law in this country for 40 years, 50 years,” Schroeder said, without waiting for a reply.
”I have no idea why you would do something like that,” he said. “So, I don’t know what you’re up to.”
Binger’s response only made matters worse.
“Don’t get brazen with me!” Schroeder said. “You know very well that an attorney can’t go into these types of areas when the judge has already ruled, without asking outside the presence of the jury to do so. So don’t give me that!”
Schroeder said he wanted no more issues of the sort from the prosecution during the trial. “Is that clear?” he asked.
“Yes,” Binger replied.
The incident in question was an August 2020 video the prosecution wanted to introduce that shows what appear to be thieves running from a CVS store and stashing items in a trunk.
A speaker the prosecution claimed was Rittenhouse then said in the video, “Bro, I wish I had my (expletive) AR, I’d start shooting rounds at them.”
The judge’s conduct has already raised the hackles of the family of Jacob Blake, whose shooting last year triggered the rioting that drew Rittenhouse to Kenosha, according to The Washington Post.
“It seems like he’s aiming to let this man out of this courthouse scot-free and we’re not going to let that happen,” said Justin Blake, Jacob Blake’s uncle. “If it happens, we’re not going to be quiet about it.”
“I think Kyle Rittenhouse is going to get off,” Justine Tidwell, a 25-year-old black resident of Kenosha, said. “They gave the case to the worst judge in town.”
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