KYLE Rittenhouse was accused of lying about having EMT training as the prosecutors presented closing arguments in his trial on Monday.
Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger also held up an AR-15 in the courtroom to show the jury how the teenager was holding his gun on the night he shot three people, killing two.
Five hundred National Guard troops were placed on standby in Kenosha as closing arguments in the trial began.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers is preparing for unrest after dramatic scenes in the courtroom as the teen told the jury about shooting three Black Lives Matter protesters last summer.
Rittenhouse was just 17 when he went to Kenosha in summer 2020 with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle and a medical kit as protests erupted over the wounding of a black man by a white police officer.
Closing arguments will be given on Monday for up to five hours with a verdict expected this week.
Read our Kyle Rittenhouse live blog below for the latest news & updates…
- Jocelyn Cook
CLOSING ARGUMENT CONTINUES
The defense team's closing argument in the Kyle Rittenhouse continues as of 4:10pm ET.
Prosecutors will get half an hour to respond to the points brought up during that closing before the case goes to the jury.
- Jocelyn Cook
DEFENSE SAYS SHOOTING VICTIM WAS 'LEAPING' AT RITTENHOUSE
Defense attorney Mark Richards claimed during his closing argument that Joseph Rosenbaum, the first individual shot by Kyle Rittenhouse on August 25, 2020, was "leaping" at him.
That may have been in response to prosecutor Thomas Binger arguing during his own closing argument that Rittenhouse provoked “this entire incident” by brandishing his weapon before shooting two men dead and injuring a third.
"You cannot claim self-defense against a danger you create," Binger said. "That's critical right here. If you're the one who is threatening others, you lose the right to claim self-defense."
- Jocelyn Cook
DEFENSE MAKES CLOSING ARGUMENTS
After a short break, court resumed and the defense began their closing arguments in the Kyle Rittenhouse case.
Defense attorney Mark Richards said early on in the argument that prosecutor Thomas Binger was "lying" and "misrepresenting" evidence in the case.
- Jocelyn Cook
DEFENSE TO MAKE CLOSING ARGUMENTS
The defense in the Kyle Rittenhouse case is set to make their closing argument this afternoon.
The court went on a short break after the prosecution finished its closing arguments.
- Jocelyn Cook
PROSECUTION ENDS CLOSING ARGUMENTS
Prosecutor Thomas Binger appeared to end his closing arguments around 3:10pm ET on Monday.
The judge then called for a short break.
- Jocelyn Cook
HAS THE CASE ENDED?
Closing arguments in the Kyle Rittenhouse case continued on Monday afternoon.
The case will not be concluded until closing arguments end and a verdict is determined.
- Jocelyn Cook
WHAT WAS RITTENHOUSE CHARGED WITH?
Rittenhouse was charged with first-degree homicide over the murder of two people in connection with the protests.
Rittenhouse pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The shooting suspect was freed from juvenile detention in Illinois after he was jailed.
Rittenhouse was released on a $2 million bail paid for mostly by supporters in November.
- Jocelyn Cook
JUDGE READ OFF 'PAGES' OF THINGS FOR JURY TO CONSIDER
Ahead of closing arguments, Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Schroeder took time this morning to reads instructions to the jury and laid out "some 36 pages of things they should consider," CNN noted.
Closing arguments continue this afternoon in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse after those instructions were given out.
- Jocelyn Cook
CLOSING ARGUMENTS RESUME
Court has resumed after a short break and the prosecution is resuming closing arguments in the Kyle Rittenhouse case.
- Frances Mulraney
JOSEPH ROSENBAUM WAS 'NO THREAT'
The prosecution argued in closing arguments that Joseph Rosenbaum posed 'no threat' to Kyle Rittenhouse before the teen shot him dead.
“There is this alleged threat that Mr. Rosenbaum made earlier in the evening to kill the defendant," Kenosha County Assistant DA Thomas Binger said.
“I will debunk that. That did not happen,” Binger continued.
“It is the one fact, in this case, the defendant wants you to believe that there is no video of – and in fact, I have the video of the entire incident, I played it for you and I’ll show it to you again. There is no threat.”
“There is also no evidence that Mr. Rosenbaum ever wanted the defendant’s gun,” he added.
- Frances Mulraney
DEFENSE CLOSING ARGUMENTS TO COME
The defense in Kyle Rittenhouse's trial will deliver its closing arguments this afternoon.
The teen told the court last week that he did not want to kill anyone that night.
His team has argued he acted in self-defense.
- Frances Mulraney
'PROVOKED INCIDENT'
Assistant DA Binger has claimed in his closing arguments that Rittenhouse provoked "this entire incident" by brandishing his weapon before shooting dead two men and injuring a third.
"That is what provokes this entire incident," he said. "If you are the one who is threatening others you lose the right to self-defense."
- Frances Mulraney
RITTENHOUSE'S MOTIVE QUESTIONED
Kenosha County Assistant DA Thomas Binger began his closing arguments by questioning why Rittenhouse was in Kenosha the night he shot three people, killing two.
"Was this a situation where he sincerely cared about Car Source, even though he never heard of it, never bought anything there, never worked there — not even its owners were out there that night protecting it?" he said.
"Was he genuinely interested in helping people? He ran around with an AR-15 all night and lied about being an EMT.
"Does that suggest to you that he genuinely is there to help?
"He's not there for the same purpose as the protesters so why was there that night?" Binger added.
- Frances Mulraney
CLOSING ARGUMENTS BEGIN
The closing arguments in Kyle Rittenhouse's trial have begun.
Kenosha County Assistant DA Thomas Binger is the first to speak.
- Frances Mulraney
JUDGE INSTRUCTIONS ON SELF-DEFENSE
The judge in Kyle Rittenhouse's trial said on Monday that if the jury believes he acted in self-defense, the verdict is clear.
"If you decide that the defendant acted lawfully in self-defense, you’re done. And you can return a not guilty verdict," said Judge Bruce Schroeder.
- Frances Mulraney
RITTENHOUSE LAWYERS FILE FOR MISTRIAL
Judge Bruce Schroeder revealed on Monday before closing arguments that Kyle Rittenhouse's lawyers have filed an official motion for a mistrial.
"The state has repeatedly violated instructions from the Court, acted in bad faith and intentionally provided technological evidence which was different from theirs," the motion reads.
"For those reasons, the defendant respectfully requests the Court find 'prosecutorial overreaching' existed, that overreaching was intentional and in bad faith and thereby grant the defendant’s motion for a mistrial with prejudice."
- Frances Mulraney
WHAT CHARGES DOES RITTENHOUSE FACE NOW?
Kyle Rittenhouse faces charges of first-degree intentional homicide; attempted first-degree intentional homicide; first-degree reckless homicide and reckless endangering.
A verdict is expected from the jury this week.
- Frances Mulraney
WHAT WAS THE DISMISSED CHARGE?
Before closing arguments on Monday, Judge Bruce Schroeder dismissed a count of possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18.
The charge was a misdemeanor but prosecutors believed it to be the most likely to net a conviction.
it was dismissed after prosecutors conceded in court that the rifle Rittenhouse used last summer was not short-barrelled.
Wisconsin’s statute includes an exception in cases like this.
- Frances Mulraney
JUDGE ISSUES INSTRUCTIONS
Judge Bruce Schroeder is issuing instructions to the jury before they hear closing arguments.
On the charges of homicide, he cautioned: “You should make every reasonable effort to unanimously agree on the charge of first-degree intentional homicide before moving on to the second.”
- Jocelyn Cook
WHAT HAPPENED DURING CROSS EXAMINATION?
Prosecutor Thomas Binger went hard at Rittenhouse all afternoon during cross-examination last Wednesday, walking him through each of the shootings.
Rittenhouse continuously pushed back, saying he had no choice but to fire.
- Jocelyn Cook
JUDGE DISMISSES CHARGE OF POSSESSION OF DANGEROUS WEAPON
The judge on the Rittenhouse trial has reportedly dismissed one of the charges against him.
"Judge at Kyle Rittenhouse trial dismisses charge of possession of dangerous weapon," reporter Jonathan Lemire shared on Twitter.
- Jocelyn Cook
LIFE IN PRISON?
Rittenhouse is on trial over the shootings he committed during unrest that erupted in Kenosha over the wounding of Jacob Blake, a black man, by a white cop.
He could get life in prison on the charges.
- Jocelyn Cook
RITTENHOUSE DEFENDED ACTIONS ON THE STAND
Rittenhouse testified on Wednesday he was under attack when he killed two men – Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber – and wounded a third – Gaige Grosskreutz – with his rifle during a night of protests in Kenosha last summer.
The teen told the court: “I didn’t do anything wrong. I defended myself.”
Rittenhouse testified that the first man cornered him and put his hand on the barrel of Rittenhouse’s rifle, the second man hit him with a skateboard, and the third man came at him with a gun of his own.
- Jocelyn Cook
'MELODRAMATIC PERFORMANCE'
Other people on social media weren't impressed either after Rittenhouse seemingly cried on the stand during his trial.
CNN pundit Ana Navarro-Cárdenas said: "Kyle Rittenhouse shot and killed Anthony Huber, 26, and Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and injured Gaige Grosskreutz, now 27."
"Think about how much their loved ones have cried, real anguish and grief, not crocodile tears."
"Kyle Rittenhouse's was face scrunching extra hard with zero moisture. Crocodile tears," another Twitter user added.
Attorney Carli Pierson said he "deserves an award for his melodramatic performance on the witness stand."
- Jocelyn Cook
LEBRON JAMES ON RITTENHOUSE: 'WHAT TEARS?'
The athlete tweeted about Rittenhouse after he appeared to cry on the stand last week.
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