Twelve jurors have been chosen and are now deliberating the fate of 18-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse.
Rittenhouse faces life in prison if convicted on charges stemming from August 25, 2020 when Rittenhouse shot three people, killing two during unrest in the city following the Jacob Blake shooting by a Kenosha police officer.
Prosecutors say Rittenhouse murdered two people in cold blood, while Rittenhouse and his attorneys argue he acted in self-defense.
It’s unclear how long deliberations could take as the defendant faces multiple charges.
“Keep in mind, these jurors haven’t been able to talk about this [case] for the last two weeks,” said WTMJ’s Jeff Wagner, a former federal prosecutor for 13 years. “So I think what happens in the beginning is you go around the table and get everyone’s general feeling about what’s going on.”
The jury will likely then go count-by-count while going over evidence and their own notes, according to Wagner.
“I think most observers feel that for some of these counts it’s pretty clear it’s self-defense,” said Wagner. “What I think is going to be interesting is you’re going to have some people who, regardless of the law, are going to be uncomfortable with the fact that a 17-year-old kid [brought] a rifle into this situation and then quickly [got in] over his head.”
This attitude from many in the jury, says Wagner, could result in a conviction of some of the lesser counts introduced prior to the close of the trial.
“You’ve got twelve people from completely diverse backgrounds. They all bring their different prejudices, opinions, and biases into this. And that’s where you maybe get this urge to compromise.”