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After 8.5 hours of deliberation, the jury has not reached a verdict in the murder trial of 18-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse.
Judge Bruce Schroeder retired the jury on Tuesday night.
It’s unclear why the jury has not yet settled on a unanimous decision.
The jury is considering two charges of first-degree murder.
The other offenses include two charges of reckless endangerment one charge of attempted murder.
Multiple charges have already been dropped, including a curfew violation charge as well as a misdemeanor weapons charge. Prosecutors agreed Rittenhouse had not broken the law with respect to this charge and failed to provide any evidence for the judge.
Attorneys from both sides have now gone back to the judge's chambers. Kyle Rittenhouse did not join them and is sitting at the defense table.
— Stacy St. Clair (@StacyStClair) November 16, 2021
The jury was ordered to avoid discussing the case with anyone and to return at 9:00 a.m. in the morning to continue deliberations.
Jury is back in the courtroom and judge tells them not to talk about the case over night. They'll be back at it at 9 am
— Stacy St. Clair (@StacyStClair) November 16, 2021
Constitutional scholar and Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz also said Rittenhouse should be acquitted of murder and sue the media.
“He should be acquitted,” Dershowitz said. And then he should due media organizations for smearing him, Dershowitz added.
Dershowitz’s comments came during an appearance on Newsmax. Rittenhouse is currently on trial for killing two men and wounding a third while protecting a business during the left-wing riots that rocked Wisconsin for three nights last year.
“If I were a juror, I would vote that there was reasonable doubt that he did act in self-defense, and then he’ll bring lawsuits and that’s the way to answer.”
“I’ve sued CNN, the Covington people have sued CNN. You know, the idea is to make the media accountable for deliberate and willful lies, and that is consistent with the First Amendment,” he continued.
Rittenhouse currently stands trial for the murder of two people during last year’s “Black Lives Matter” riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Businesses were destroyed by career criminals as law enforcement is accused of failing to protect people’s property.
Then-17-year-old Rittenhouse arrived to assist a local business owner in defending his car dealership that suffered $1.5 million in damages.
Rittenhouse, who says he was defending himself from violent protesters, has been charged with one count of first-degree intentional homicide as well as other charges in the aftermath of the riots.
