Kyle Rittenhouse in jail
In this screen grab from live stream video, Kyle Rittenhouse appears via video during a hearing at the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court in Waukegan, Ill., on Sept. 25, 2020. (Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court via AP)

By Michael Tarm, AP

The mother of a 17-year-old accused of killing two demonstrators in Kenosha, Wisconsin, is among those slated to testify Friday during a hearing in Illinois to decide if her son should be extradited across the border to stand trial on homicide charges.

Kyle Rittenhouse’s lawyers also planned to call an expert on self-defense, a prison-safety consultant and two former homicide detectives in a long shot bid to convince Judge Paul Novak in Waukegan, Illinois, not to turn their client over to Wisconsin authorities.

The case has become a rallying point for some conservatives who see Rittenhouse as a patriot who was exercising his right to bear arms during unrest in Kenosha following the shooting of a Black man by a white police officer. Others portray him as a domestic terrorist who incited protesters by showing up wielding a rifle.

State-to-state extraditions are typically formalities and judges rarely refuse to OK another state’s request to transfer a suspect. Efforts to fight extradition are nearly always in vain but can help attorneys to buy time to compile evidence and prepare a defense.

A recent defense filing listing witnesses it wants to call at the hearing in the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan names Rittenhouse’s mom, Wendy Rittenhouse. The documents didn’t offer details, saying she would discuss the circumstances of her son’s arrest.

Kyle Rittenhouse
(Adam Rogan/The Journal Times via AP)

Prosecutors aren’t expected to call anyone to the witness stand, saying in filings of their own that it’s the role of a Wisconsin judge, not one in Illinois, to gauge whether there are sufficient grounds for charges.

The most serious charge Rittenhouse faces in Wisconsin is first-degree intentional homicide for fatally shooting two protesters, which carries a life prison sentence. He is also charged with attempted intentional homicide in the wounding of a third protesters, as well as a misdemeanor charge of underage firearm possession.

The killings occurred Aug. 25, two days after a police officer trying to arrest Jacob Blake shot him seven times in the back after a brief scuffle, leaving Blake paralyzed from the waist down. A video of the shooting posted online sparked outrage and helped spur on the protests.

Rittenhouse and the man he allegedly injured are white, as were the two men killed.

A day after the shooting, Rittenhouse surrendered to police in his Illinois hometown of Antioch, just across the Wisconsin border and some 10 miles (16.09 kilometers) southwest of Kenosha.

Lawyers for Rittenhouse have argued he was acting in self-defense and that extraditing him to Wisconsin would violate his constitutional rights.

Kyle Rittenhouse skateboard Huber
Anthony Huber beating Kyle Rittenhouse, who is on the ground, with his skateboard during the riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

In one filing, they complained that Rittenhouse had been “publicly branded a ‘mass murderer,’ a ‘terrorist,’ a ‘racist,’ and more.” At a hearing in the case in early October, Rittenhouse attorney John Pierce said “this is not a legitimate criminal prosecution, it is a political prosecution.” Defense lawyers have also said his extradition would be akin to turning him “over to the mob.”

The Rittenhouse defense team was broaching “irrelevant and inflammatory ‘facts’ which are solely meant to sway sympathy and public opinion through the media in favor of the defendant,” Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Stephen Scheller responded in one recent filing.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed a warrant to return Rittenhouse to Wisconsin after a request from Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a fellow Democrat. Mike Nerheim, the Lake County state’s attorney, has said he’s never seen anyone fight extradition after the governor signed a warrant for it.

Legal experts say that on the rare occasions when state extradition cases have been contested, defense lawyers usually argue that either no crime was committed in the other state or that the defendant was not the person who committed whatever crime did occur.

According to prosecutors and court documents, Rittenhouse shot and killed 36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum, of Kenosha, after Rosenbaum threw a plastic bag at Rittenhouse, missing him, and tried to wrestle his rifle away.

While trying to get away in the immediate aftermath, Rittenhouse was captured on cellphone video saying, “I just killed somebody.” According to a complaint filed by prosecutors, someone in the crowd said, “Beat him up!” and another yelled, “Get him! Get that dude!”

Video shows that Rittenhouse tripped in the street. As he was on the ground, 26-year-old Anthony Huber, of Silver Lake, hit him with a skateboard and tried to take his rifle. Rittenhouse opened fire, killing Huber and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz, of West Allis, who was holding a handgun.

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66 COMMENTS

  1. Perhaps I’m mistaken, but I believe the first line of the AP article is somewhat misleading. Kyle isn’t accused of killing his two attackers, as it’s pretty obvious to everyone that he did indeed kill them both. What’s at issue is whether or not he justifiably defended himself with deadly force. Pretty much anyone who’s viewed the videos agrees he fired his weapon in pure defense of his life against attackers who intended him harm or death.

    C’mon, man!

      • Yeah, I read that article just before coming over here to TTAG. I think this is indeed going to be a very interesting election week coming up. I’ll be going back and forth between CNN and FoxNews to see how disparate their “predictive” maps are, and how differently they’ll be presenting the results as Tuesday (and Wed, and Thu, and…) drags on.

    • Others portray [Rittenhouse] as a domestic terrorist who incited protesters by showing up wielding a rifle.

      Gaige Grosskreutz also showed up with a gun and later said his only regret was he didn’t kill rittenhouse. Yet Gaige wasn’t arrested and isn’t being prosecuted at all. They assumed malice with rittenhouse and assumed defense for Gaige.

      • Even though he pursued and attacked Rittenhouse as he fell. This whole case is bullshit.

        Hopefully in 2021 Rittenhouse becomes a multi millionaire after all the people he sues.

        • Gaige Grosskreutz is a close personal comrade of mine. I have been personally helping him with his rehabilitation, teaching him to FAP on his left takes time, and I will be lending him a hand until he masters the technique.

      • When did exercising a constitutionally protected civil right become an act of terrorism?

        That’s the fatal flaw with the argument against Kyle.

    • That statement would be banned from facebook or twitter, they both declared him a murder and only statements to that fact could be posted. SO there you are, he’s guilty.

    • …and both Governors…their politically-motivated inaction fomented the mess both States have experienced.

      • The entire Summer of Violence could have been prevented had the people in charge been willing to do their jobs. Democrats could have called them out, but they encouraged it instead.

        • Agreed! Sacrificing an entire country (the USA) in their TDS tantrums is not too big a price to pay to usher in their New World Order Peace and Harmony.*

          *this is the point where you are supposed to quote the Little Red Book and sing (or, at least, hum) the Chinese National Anthem.

          English Translation:

          Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves;
          With our very flesh and blood
          Let us build our new Great Wall!
          The peoples of China are in the most critical time,
          Everybody must roar his defiance.
          Arise! Arise! Arise!
          Millions of hearts with one mind,
          Brave the enemy’s gunfire,
          March on!
          Brave the enemy’s gunfire,
          March on!
          March on!
          March on, on!

      • That’s probably the truth, except for the part about liking it.

        Oh, and Kyle Rittenhouse WILL go free — the only question is how much crap the corruptocrats can put him through before he’s acquitted. There is far too much evidence in his favor.

  3. This young man demonstrated incredible self restraint under extremely stressful circumstances. He could’ve easily gone beyond what was a reasonable amount of force for self defense but he didnt he kept his cool and only did what was necessary and I applaud him.

  5. They are not going to let Kyle go easily, they desperately want to make a example of him.
    If they don’t get their way they might Epstein him

    • Immediately posting a $2MM bail would be one way.
      But I suspect they’ll demand a bail hearing and attempt to get it lowered to something more in line with what should be set for a 17 year old part time lifeguard who never did anything wrong.

      https://fightback.law/donate/

      I’d expect $2MM to cover a wealthy flight risk.
      For example, if someone were charged with laundering a $5MM bribe from the Chinese to the Vice President.

    • I really don’t think that it’s a question of “if”, but “when” he gets extradited. I think that if everyone thinks about it rationally, we have to admit that Rittenhouse needs to stand in a Kenosh courthouse, in front of a Kenosh judge, and explain his actions. All of us would expect as much if the killings happened in our own hometowns.

      If justice is served, Kyle will walk out of court within the week, with an acquittal. But he has to make a plea in the case.

      Actually, the prosecutor should just withdraw charges, but that ain’t going to happen because of the potential for more riots.

      • Eventually when cooler heads prevail he should go to trial to find out if he is innocent or guilty. That is why we have trials in this country, we are not a communist nation yet. If Biden wins it had better be quick before he turns us over to China or Russia whichever one has the most dirt on him.

      • He doesn’t need to stand and explain anything you freak…. the video is PLAIN TO SEE….. HE DEFENDED HIMSELF…. ARE YOU BLIND??????

  7. Call me frivolous or irresponsible, but it occurs to me that it would help Ritterhouse’s case if there was recent evidence of how deadly bludgeoning weapons can be. Imagine how difficult a prosecution would become if there was a sudden epidemic of victims who had been beaten to death with skateboards by anonymous assailants. This epidemic would be all the more persuasive if all of the victims were members of ANTIFA or Black Lives Matter.

    Free Kyle!

    • Just look at the FBI statistics. The evidence you seek is in plain sight. More people are killed every year with “personal weapons”, including fists, feet, assorted blunt objects, and knives than are killed with firearms. The last time I looked, those statistics seemed to be current up to 2018.

      • You are making a somewhat valid point but your data is incorrect. About 60% of homicides are committed with firearms. However; rifles of any type are used to commit only 2% to 3% of all homicides. Prodigal weapons as well as bludgeoning weapons are used to kill far more people than rifles.

        • WRONG!!!!!!
          More deaths are caused by knives alone than firearms….. and that doesn’t even account for deaths by other blunt force objects…..
          Take your losses somewhere else pinko idiot….

  8. Are we still saying he merely tripped, instead of admitting that somebody threw something at him that struck him?

    • Actually – I think Kyle stumbled when he tried to look over his shoulder. Yeah, he was the target of assorted thrown objects, and he was struck in the back of the head by one rioter. But, none of that seemed to really affect him.

      • Bs…. didn’t affect him…… how fkn dumb are you????
        Get back to your mommy’s basement you sound like some little millennial pos…

  9. The ride sucks…A supportive letter writing campaign to kyle would be good.

    Him receiving lots of snail mail, correctional officers having to go through and screen/read/search each. Perhaps address all to the prosecutor’s office, make office personnel sign for each? If anything it lets a young man know he’s being thought of while he sits in a cell. In another way it might annoy and influence the peopl intent of burning kyle at the stake.

    Thoughts/ideas??

  10. “two demonstrators”???? Seems the only thing they were demonstrating was unsucessful tactics in their attacks.

  11. I think we should begin a national or international competition (I would put up some prize money) for who can throw a plastic bag the farthest. To test your competitiveness, get the bag from, say, a loaf of bread, stand 10 feet in front of your TV and wind up like the Major Leagues and let ‘er rip. That’s right, your chances of even TOUCHING the TV are zero. Jackass did not throw “a plastic bag” at Kyle, he threw some quantity of rocks and bricks at Kyle, after he carried them there in a plastic bag, fervently hoping to get the opportunity to beat someone to death with them. Reporting today is universally shit.

    • It was definitely a concealed weapon in a plastic bag.

      It might have been a blunt instrument made of stone/brick/concrete, it might even have been a Molotov cocktail, considering the guy who threw it was one of the two guys who lit a dumpster fire and tried to push it into a gas station. (if somebody had shot Rosenbaum while he was in the act of doing that, we’d have never heard of Kyle Rittenhouse, who would probably be enjoying his senior year of high school right about now)

      • …or ice cubes that would hurt upon contact, but soon melt away…their clear composition would make it difficult to detect on video from a distance…

    • There are so many videos, I’m not real sure where to search for the one I want. That first plastic bag was tagged on multiple occassions throughout the night. Shorty had it suspended from his belt most of the night. He was observed dropping it at one point, and picking it up a few minutes later. He had a bottle of water and a can of soda in it at different points in time, along with something that looked like snacks. At the point at which he threw it, it appears that there was an almost empty water bottle in the bag. An unopened can of Coke would have carried, and potentially done some damage. A water bottle with only 1 or 2 ounces of water remaining carried for a few feet, then fluttered to the ground.

      From Shorty McDeadhead’s point of view, it was a bad bit of luck. From Kyle’s point of view, it was extremely good luck.

      • I strongly doubt 1/4 cup of water would have flown like that, nor would the child molester have used it as a projectile weapon in the first place.

    • Yeah… unfortunately these “lawyers” are proving themselves to be in it for the money…… only…..
      Typical of all rich douce bags…. if they don’t get him acquitted they may need some special thanks from some of kyles supporters..

  14. When faced with mortal peril, Kyle Rittenhouse’s warrior spirit emerged, allowing him to punch way above his weight. While too many people would have been beaten and killed—his attackers surely expected that to happen—what we see in the videos is a man taking control of his situation and fighting back. We can forget about his age. In those moments when his life was threatened and he decided to use his weapon to fight his attackers, young Kyle ceased to be a child. In those moments Kyle Rittenhouse became a warrior. And a man.

    • In my eyes, he was a man for showing up to those riots to begin with. More mainly than 90% of other 17-year-olds across the nation, that’s for sure.

      • Why limit it to 17 year olds?
        He did more for his community than the overwhelming majority of the people reading this ever did, and that includes me. He even volunteered medical aid to the sort of people who, minutes later, tried to murder him.

        • That, exactly. The video of him offering medical aid to rioters is proof positive that he didn’t arrive at the riot intent on killing anyone. He’s most certainly NOT the “terrorist” that lefties want to paint him as.

    • Huh???? Warriors spirit? You must be hanging out at the local pedo sweat lodge too much or something…..
      THIS SCARED CHILD DID WHAT HE COULD TO PRESERVE HIS OWN LIFE….. PLAIN AND SIMPLE!!!!
      IF ANYONE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT, BESIDES THE LOOTERS AND RIOTERS, IT’S THE ADULTS WHO BROUGHT THIS CHILD INTO A SITUATION AND THEN LEFT HIM ALONE TO BECOME PREY TO THE PEDO PREDATORS HE HAD TO DEFEND HIMSELF FROM…… WHO LETS NOT FORGET WHERE ADULTS ATTACKING A CHILD!!!!

    • Most definitely, because you know there will be more rioting when he is freed, and private armies making sure he gets freed when tried unjustly. Either way, we’ll be there when it happens.

      Hope you have been training and there is a heavy emphasis on highly overlooked stuff – like comms and communication between teams off comms. Don’t wear anything easily identifiable – patches or special shit, cover yourself, and lose the tails on the way in. There is no leaving, so don’t worry about the way out. Kenosha’s gonna be ground zero, so we’ll just rebuild it and stay there 😉

  16. Kyle will not receive a fair trial in any venue under communist control. The communists are in control of the so called criminal justice system in the US. Russiagate, Hillarys server, the FBI burying the Weiner and Biden laptops, are but a few examples where criminal acts were covered up or ignored by federal agencies responsible. They protect themselves. But a young while male with an black rifle is the communists poster child of the enemy. If Biden and Kamilia are elected Kyle will be abused and put thru a gulag on Kamalas orders. We face some hard choices as Americans if the communists take the presidency.

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