When Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges against him, legal experts weren't surprised. Here's what they say led to the decision.
After more than 25 hours of deliberations, a 12-person jury acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse of all five charges he faced after fatally shooting two people and wounding a third during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last summer.
Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, were killed, and Gaige Grosskreutz, now 27, was wounded. Rittenhouse was charged with five felonies: first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety.
Rittenhouse breaks down after being found not guilty on all charges 01:31State did not prove Rittenhouse provoked violenceWhat the trial came down to, according to civil rights attorney Charles F. Coleman Jr. were two competing narratives: one of Rittenhouse being a victim who was attacked, and one of being a vigilante who provoked the violence.
Will Rittenhouse self-defense claim convince jury? 06:32Wisconsin law allows the use of deadly force only if"necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm." And because Rittenhouse's attorneys claimed self-defense, state law meant the burden fell on prosecutors to disprove Rittenhouse was acting in self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt. And it was an uphill battle to climb from the start, because of the facts in this case, experts said.
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