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Findings that federal judges with financial conflicts improperly ruled in hundreds of cases
Chief Justice John Roberts pledged Friday to improve ethics training and bolster internal compliance systems for the federal judiciary, citing a Wall Street Journal investigation that found hundreds of instances where judges presided over cases involving companies in which they or their relatives held stock.
“Let me be crystal clear: the Judiciary takes this matter seriously. We expect judges to adhere to the highest standards, and those judges violated an ethics rule,” the chief justice said in his year-end report, which traditionally is published on Dec. 31 and includes statistics regarding the federal courts’ caseload.
In addition to presiding over the Supreme Court, the chief justice heads the entire federal judicial system, overseeing it through such bodies as the Judicial Conference, which is the judges’ policy-making arm, and the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts.
The federal judiciary historically has resisted proposals that would extend to judges the disclosure requirements that apply to lawmakers and executive-branch appointees. It has also opposed bills aiming to increase public access to judicial proceedings, such as providing free access to the online Pacer system where federal court filings and decisions are docketed.
Six people were injured after two men shot into a Superior Grocers market in south Los Angeles on Friday afternoon, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Just before 4 p.m., two men drove to the front entrance to the market on 102nd Street and Avalon Boulevard in Green Meadows, got out of their vehicle and shot into the store. The shooters fled the scene and were only described as two men about 25 years old, LAPD officer Kyle McInnis said.
Three men and three women were injured, and four of them were taken to a nearby hospital by the Los Angeles Fire Department; the other two refused transportation, LAFD spokeswoman Margaret Stewart said. Two of the hospitalized victims were in critical condition and two were in serious condition, she said.
A store employee, who did not disclose his name, said there was an altercation prior to the shooting, but he did not elaborate on who was involved. The LAPD did not identify a motive for the shooting or say if any of the victims were store employees.
Dior says it's out of respect for the victims of November's tragedy that left left 10 people dead.
There’s more fallout from the tragedy at Astroworld that ended with 10 people killed last month.
Popular fashion brand Dior is postponing its collaboration with Travis Scott’s ‘Cactus Jack’ label.
Dior released a statement to ‘Women’s Wear Daily,’ saying in part, “Out of respect for everyone affected by the tragic events at Astroworld, Dior has decided to postpone indefinitely the launch.”
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer announced on Tuesday, Dec. 28, that a court ruled in favor of the city in a lawsuit aimed at overturning a plan for the construction of up to 6,000 new apartment and condominium units within a half-mile of five Metro Expo Line stations.
“We urgently need more housing and we should put it close to public transit to reduce traffic congestion. This victory is an essential step in dramatically reimagining how Angelenos live, work, shop and play.” Feuer said.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mary Strobel ruled in favor of the city on Dec. 17.
The lawsuit was filed in October 2018 by Fix The City, a Westside nonprofit that argued the city’s current infrastructure couldn’t support the new units and jobs in the planned Exposition Corridor Transit Neighborhood Plan.
In its complaint, the group argued that residents already experience “overburdened and inadequate infrastructure and public services, including public safety services.”
The court’s ruling in Los Angeles’ favor will allow for the building of increased housing and the creation of pedestrian friendly streets within half a mile of the Westside Metro train stations, including the Expo/Bundy Station and the Expo/Sepulveda Station, as well as in Westwood, Palms and Culver City, according to the city attorney.
The clerk was detained for questioning, but it was not immediately clear what promoted the stabbing.
LOS ANGELES, CA — A 7-Eleven store clerk stabbed and killed a man early Wednesday morning inside a Mid-Wilshire store, authorities said.
The fatal stabbing occurred just after midnight at the 7-Eleven store at 5279 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles Police Department Detective Meghan Aguilar said. The clerk called the police to say that he stabbed a man.
Authorities arrived on the scene to find a 40-year-old man who had been stabbed in the chest with a kitchen knife. He was rushed to a hospital where he died a short time later, police said.
Police detained the employee for questioning to determine whether he would be booked for a crime, she said.
The man's name was not released pending notification of relatives.
Authorities did not immediately say what prompted the stabbing nor whether the clerk and the stabbing victim knew each other.
Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty in the case accusing her of luring and grooming underage girls for sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein
Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty of engaging in a 10-year sex-trafficking scheme with Jeffrey Epstein, a verdict that offers long-delayed justice for his victims. The British socialite was convicted Wednesday in Manhattan federal court after the jurors deliberated for about five days. They found her guilty of five of the charges against her, including sex-trafficking of a minor, which carries a possible prison sentence of up to 40 years.
Maxwell, 60, didn’t appear to have any reaction to the verdict, at one point brushing her hair aside and taking a drink of water. Before, while waiting for the jury to return to the courtroom, she looked down with her hands clasped, as if praying.
“The road to justice has been far too long,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, whose office prosecuted the case, said in a statement. “But, today, justice has been done. I want to commend the bravery of the girls -- now grown women -- who stepped out of the shadows and into the courtroom. Their courage and willingness to face their abuser made this case, and today’s result, possible.”
Tears, Vindication and Relief: Maxwell Accusers React to Verdict
Defense lawyer Bobbi Sternheim told reporters on the courthouse steps Wednesday evening that Maxwell’s conviction would be appealed.
“We firmly believe in Ghislaine’s innocence,” Sternheim said. “Obviously we are very disappointed with the verdict. We have already started working on the appeal and we are confident she will be vindicated.”
Maxwell’s siblings, who have attended the trial regularly, didn’t comment as they left the courthouse.
She faces as long as 65 years in prison if she’s sentenced consecutively on all five counts. No sentencing date was set for Maxwell, who still faces a separate trial on perjury charges.
The crowd outside the Manhattan federal courthouse after the Ghislaine Maxwell verdict was read.
Egyptian lives of the past and their mummified remains have always been fascinating to modern humans. “By digitally unwrapping … the mummy and ‘peeling off’ its virtual layers — the facemask, the bandages, and the mummy itself — we could study this well-preserved pharaoh in unprecedented detail,” said Dr. Sahar Salee. Dr. Saleem is a professor of radiology at Cairo University’s Faculty of Medicine. She is also the radiologist for the Egyptian Mummy Project. “Nowadays we do not physically unwrap mummies anymore. We preserve our heritage and study them with non-invasive techniques,” she added.
The researchers employed a three-dimensional computerized tomography or, CT scan for unwrapping and studying the mummy of the Egyptian Pharoah. The study was published in Frontiers in Medicine on Tuesday. Hence, the new development will provide fascinating insights into the life of the Egyptian pharaoh. “For the first time we can know information about the mummy without disturbing the mummy,” stated Zahi Hawass. Hawass, a prominent Egyptologist is the co-author of the study.
Amenhotep I ruled the Egyptian civilization for around 21 years between 1525-1504 BC. While his original tomb was never located, his mummy was found in Luxor, where it was reburied. The new study also revealed that Amenhotep I was about 35 years old at the time of his death. The king had curly hair, a narrow nose and, a narrow chin. He was 169 centimeters tall according to Dr. Saleem and her colleague’s findings. The wrappings also revealed around 30 amulets underneath. Additionally, they found a unique golden girdle. However, the cause of his death still remains a mystery.
With the help of the CT scans, they discovered that, unlike most mummies, Amenhotep I’s brain was not removed during his mummification. “We are planning now to do the same type of a study to all the royal mummies,” stated Hawass. After all, new technology is a gateway to discovering heritage and history without harming it.
DJ Akademiks responded to video director, Spike Tarintino, after being called out for spreading misinformation about Kay Flock's murder case.
DJ Akademiks is always under fire for his social involvement in the lives of rappers. His latest call-out comes from video director, Spike Tarintino, in relation to Kay Flock's second-degree murder charge. On Dec. 24th, Kay Flock allegedly shot and killed Oscar Hernandez during an altercation. Ak was one of the first to report on the Bronx rapper.
Akademiks' report mirrored the original police report, which considered Flock to be the aggressor. A new video surfaced on Dec. 27th which suggested that Flock may have not been the shooter. Tarintino called out Akademiks for spreading misinformation. "The whole time he was turning up in the Bronx @akademiks never posted us Now bro in a situation I see Akademiks posting all crazy I dont like that energy (that's corny to me you didn't post the toy drives the thanksgiving giveaway thing but be quick to post negative stuff)(culture vulture)," the director stated on his IG story.
Of course, Akademiks had a mouthful to say. In a twenty-minute video, he gave his rundown on the entire situation. "Your reasons for turning up is why this n*gga is in jail. Let's stop acting like y'all was doing some positive sh*t. This whole Brooklyn/Bronx drill sh*t is murder music. You were shooting videos for n*ggas who were dissing other n*ggas who if they saw each other, something was gonna happen. You're not doing nothing positive," Ak responded.
Spike Tarintino has yet to respond to Ak's response.
Blac Youngsta has made it loud and clear he doesn’t hold his tongue back for anyone, and for a moment, it looked like that mindset had come to bite him on the rear end.
On Monday (December 27), reports circulated suggesting the Memphis, Tennessee rapper had been dropped from Yo Gotti’s Collective Music Group label — but it turns out that’s far from the truth.
On Tuesday (December 28), Yo Gotti took to Twitter to set the record straight regarding Blac Youngsta’s alleged CMG exit.
“LIL bro A BOSS He Can’t Be Dropped #CMG #HeavyCamp,” he wrote, reassuring fans that Blac Youngsta is still very much a part of his CMG empire.
Gotti also denounced the reports as “Fake News” while writing, “I’m seeing too much Rap [cap] on these blogs.”
While the initial reports didn’t provide any explanation behind Blac Youngsta’s since-debunked CMG exit, many fans believed it had something to do with his actions following the death of Young Dolph, who was murdered in Memphis last month.
Yo Gotti had a longstanding feud with Dolph stemming from him snubbing a CMG deal in 2014, but while Gotti’s decision to delay the release of his CM10 mixtape was seen as him honoring his former foe, Black Youngsta’s moves have been anything but respectful.
Earlier this month, the 31-year-old rapper performed his 2016 Young Dolph diss “Shake Sum” during a concert in Dallas, Texas. Just days later, he doubled down by releasing a new video titled “I’m Assuming,” in which he posed next to a tombstone featuring the name “Thornton,” which is Dolph’s family name.
Blac Youngsta came under heavy fire for both moves, but he refused to apologize.
“I’m the type of n-gga who ain’t neva sat back and looked for nobody to feel sorry fa me,” he wrote on Instagram in response to the criticism. “I come from the heart of South Memphis where you get no sympathy, don’t even know what that is.
“With that being said I could give 2 fucks what the world think bout me. It amazes me how just because I’m a [multi] millionaire gangsta that I’m put under this magnifying glass and every lil thing I do/say receives negativity rather its to put out that way or not I’m human I ain’t perfect.”
The CMG crew also found themselves embroiled in rumors relating to Young Dolph’s murder, given their history with the “100 Shots” rapper’s Paper Route Empire. Speculation suggested Blac Youngsta’s grandmother was killed in her home and Yo Gotti’s restaurant, Prive, was shot up in retaliation to Dolph’s death.
Drakeo’s mom reveals new information was given to her by an alleged witness she’d spoken to. Corniel stated that there were about 40 to 60 people in the vicinity, and a large number of people reportedly arrived backstage around the same time as YG.
According to reports, the fatal stabbing of Drakeo the Ruler came amid an ongoing feud with fellow Los Angeles artist YG, and allegedly Drakeo threatened to kill him just months before this incident.
However, the investigating police nor anyone else has come forward to suggest YG was involved in the incident that led to Drakeo, 28, being fatally stabbed.
Corniel stated that her son was backstage with a small group of people, that included his younger brother, Devonte Caldwell, also known by Ralfy the Plug.
“Everything just happened so quickly,” Corniel told Rolling Stone. “They started trying to jump them.”
Drakeo’s mother shared that her younger son, Ralfy the Plug attempted to protect Drakeo to no avail.
“He was trying to fight, but when he turned around, he could see his brother with blood gushing out of him,” she explained. “He was like, ‘Did they stab you?’ It was like, there were so many of them.”
She added that because his death was reportedly ruled a homicide, she was not able to touch his deceased body.
“He was hit in his neck, I saw him when I went to the hospital.” “They said it’s a homicide, so I wasn’t able to hug him or kiss him or anything like that.” Corniel detailed, “I had to look at him through a window.”
Drakeo The Ruler’s mom made clear that she will not rest until she receives justice for her son, adding that she also plans to sue as she feels the venue’s security failed to do their job properly.
“We plan to sue,” she shared. “This happened backstage at an event. Someone has to be held accountable.”
The California Highway Patrol, which is leading the investigation, told reporters Sunday night “there’s nothing credible” to suggest any of the other performers at the Once Upon a Time in LA music festival were involved.
A professional boxer from Maryland was killed in front of his girlfriend and three kids in a possible road rage shooting on Christmas Eve, according to police.
Danny Kelly Jr., a 30-year-old resident of Clinton, Md., was driving to a holiday gathering with his children and gal pal in nearby Temple Hills on Friday afternoon when a suspect pulled up his vehicle next to the family’s SUV and someone inside the other car opened fire, according to the department’s preliminary probe.
“At this time, detectives are looking into whether this was possible road rage,” local police said in a statement.
Cops found Kelly unconscious in the driver’s seat of the SUV with multiple gunshot wounds, the Prince George’s County Police Department announced Saturday in a statement. He was later pronounced dead.
Neither his girlfriend nor three children were harmed in the shooting, police said.
“This is an absolutely heartbreaking loss for Mr. Kelly’s family and friends,” said Acting Major David Blazer of the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Major Crimes Division.
“He is not home with his loved ones today on Christmas who are now mourning his loss instead of celebrating the holiday.”
Blazer urged witnesses to come forward with information on the shooting, which occurred in the 4400 block of St. Barnabas Road.
“St. Barnabas Road is a heavily traveled roadway. If any other drivers saw anything there on Christmas Eve or may have information that could help, please call us,” he said. “You can stay anonymous. We are committed to providing answers to his family.”
The Prince George’s County Police Department is offering $25,000 for information leading to an arrest of the shooter.
During a recent interview with Nardwuar, the Fayetteville emcee was asked if it was he who put Dr. Dre onto K. Dot.
“Who told you that? Who gave you that piece of information?” Cole replied. “… The answer is, yes. I did. I’m not gonna say I was the first to tell him [...] I was like, ‘Yo, you gotta sign this kid from Compton.”
Cole said he first brought up Kendrick while Dre was working on Detox; however, one of Dre’s team members was already familiar with the up-and-coming rapper. Dre would go on to sign Kendrick to his Aftermath imprint in 2013.
“Shoutout to Dr. Dre,” Cole said. “He made the right decision.”
Nardwuar then asked if Cole wanted to sign Kendrick early on in his career. Cole confirmed this was true, but emphasized he was not in a position to make such an offer at the time.
“100 percent. I don’t know what I would’ve signed him to, you know what I mean?” he explained. “We didn’t have our business intact, but that’s how much I rocked with him at that time. I met him, and instantly was highly impressed. That would’ve been the first artist in my mind [to sign], but come to find out, he had bigger shit going on.”
Elsewhere in the interview, which took place on the seventh anniversary of Cole’s Forest Hills Drive, Nardwuar presented the rapper with a series of gifts, including a Dilla Turntable released by J. Dilla’s estate, Breaks & Beats Spaceman doll, and a number of vinyl records, such as The Golden Sword by the Gerald Wilson Orchestra recorded in 1966; “40 Bars” by Allen Iverson, aka Jewels; and First Choice’s “Armed and Extremely Dangerous,” which is sampled on “Middle Child.”
Cole also spoke about some of Fayetteville’s most iconic spots and figures including his relationship with Eib, his passion for basketball, and his early rap days under the “Therapist” alias.
You can check out the full interview up top. EarthGang, Omen, and producer T-Minus also make appearances.
Police allege that while performing in Louisiana, Gunnin shot another man.
Another rapper is facing serious charges and this time, he hails from Mississippi.Magnolia State Live reported on 25-year-old Yungen Gunnin, real name Jordan Johnson, a rapper from the Pelican State who was allegedly involved in a shooting that occurred at a nightclub in Jonesville, Louisiana back in December 2018.
Authorities alleged that Gunnin was performing at Suga Shak when he shot and killed 23-year-old Da'John Mitchell.
Investigators reportedly called Gunnin "a known gang member" who was later arrested at his home in Natchez, Louisiana.
District Attorney Brad Burget, said Johnson had a person filming his performance when Mitchell allegedly bumped into a stage member and a fight between Mitchell and Johnson broke out. Johnson reportedly shot Mitchell in the back with a .380 pistol he had on him and continued to fire at Mitchell four more times after he hit the floor.
This isn't Yungen Gunnin's first run-in with the law; at 18, he reportedly pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated assault in connection with a shooting that took place in 2014. In that case, Gunnin and three other teens allegedly shot at several men making their way through an apartment complex. The shooting didn't end a fatality, but three victims were injured.
In 2016, Gunnin was reportedly sentenced to "10 years in prison with five years suspended and five years post-release supervision on count one; 10 years to run concurrently on count two; and 10 years with five years formal reporting, meaning he had to report to a parole officer, on count three."
He was reportedly on probation during the Suga Shak shooting incident. Gunnin was convicted of second-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm. His prison time for his most recent case is unclear.
The murder of Drakeo The Ruler continues to be a heavy topic of conversation within the rap community. The 28-year-old artist was fatally stabbed backstage at the Once Upon A Time In L.A. Festival in Los Angeles on December 18, bringing his story to a tragic end. With no suspects in custody, Drakeo The Ruler’s family has yet to see any kind of justice.
While Drakeo’s mother has vowed to sue the festival organizers for allowing such a tragedy to transpire on their watch, his brother has made another promise. On Thursday (December 23), Ralfy The Plug broke his silence on his brother’s death with an Instagram post.
“His name gone forever live on,” he wrote alongside a photo of Drakeo. “Literally was a king that got it out the mud and I watched it all from the start. from recording all yo lil freestyle and post ‘‘em on YouTube watching smoking on the porch waking everybody up to spit this hard ass shit you be coming up with in 10 minutes effortlessly to going to camp.
“back to back every time I get out you go back every time you get out I went back to beating indictments starting yo own label and even getting a song with drake biggest artist in game and you did it by yo self you was a self made boss and a leader you was my idol and big brother and I learned a lot from you and I’m definitely gone make sure they still know the truth.”
Ralfy The Plug was backstage when the incident took place. Speaking to Rolling Stone, Drakeo The Ruler’s mother said she talked to witnesses at the scene and came to the conclusion fellow L.A. rapper YG and his entourage were involved. As she explained, Drakeo and Ralfy were accompanied by a small group of people backstage when “like 40 to 60 people” arrived around the same time as YG and “swamped” her son and his crew.
“Everything just happened so quickly,” she said. “They started trying to jump them.” She said Ralphy tried to help but soon realized his brother had been stabbed. Corniel is struggling to understand why so many people were allowed in the restricted area and wants somebody held accountable.
Meanwhile, Drakeo The Ruler associate K7 firmly implicated YG in a recent Instagram Live video and claimed it was a set-up: “YG a real life bitch All them n-ggas is bitches, bro. I don’t give a fuck, bro. I’m so mad, bro. On my mama, YG did some hoe shit. If I see cuh, I’m gonna slap the shit out that n-gga.”
He added, “This shit is weird. N-ggas is hatin’ bro. YG a real bitch. He knew Drakeo was gonna take his spot. Cuh really a bitch. N-gga set the whole shit up. This shit was a set up from the start. N-ggas shoulda been seen this whole setup shit that these faggot ass, bitch ass, gay ass, hoe ass n-ggas did. This shit got me hot, bro … these n-ggas ain’t even ready for war, bro. YG can’t perform in L.A. no more. Fuck all that, n-gga.”
It doesn’t appear to be a good month for rapper Future when it pertains to rap mogul Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter. Earlier this month, the Atlanta-based superstar found himself at the end of a social media roast session when he claimed “in the streets, im bigger” than the 23-time Grammy-winning rapper. Now critics are coming after Future yet again after he seemingly agreed with a podcaster who suggested he could beat Jay-Z in a “Verzuz” battle.
It’s safe to say the incident sparked fromcomments initially made by the “4:44” rapper during a discussion in a Spaces chatroom initially created to talk about Alicia Keys’ new album “Keys.”
The multi-layered superstar was asked whether he’d ever participate in the highly popular music competition event, to which Jay answered — much to many people’s agreement — “No one can stand on that stage with me.”
“It’s not a chance in hell that anyone can stand on that stage with me. You got to stand in front of the ‘Grammy Family Freestyle’ live? No one has ever even seen me perform that, you got to stand in front of that? That ain’t never going to happen,” he added before pivoting the discussion back to Keys’ album.
Jay’s comment quickly initiated a debate about what artist could hold a flame to the ultra-successful musician, including “Big Facts” co-host Big Bank who wrote on his Instagram Stories, “I Promise You, ErrBody From Atlanta Feels Like Pluto Can Win A Versus Against Hov!”
Future reposted the memo on his Instagram Stories, opening the floodgate of jokes almost instantly. “WHO MADE UP THIS LIE!” asked one Instagram user. “ONE THING THIS GENERATION GONNA STOP DOING IS LYING.”
“Future can’t even win a family court battle yet. Let’s not go there,” another person commented.
“It’s giving delusional,” quipped a third person.
“I’m from Atlanta born and raised and I don’t feel that way. Must be this new generation that feel that way….”
The “Jumpman” has been feeling himself lately. Earlier this month, he got on Twitter launching off a series of posts, including one that claimed he’s the only artist that can get Ye, formally known as Kanye West, to “pull up whenever wherever..tuh,” referring to his recent Rollin’ Loud Concert when he brought the Grammy winner out on stage. “Everything I do legendary,” he wrote elsewhere.
Kyle Rittenhouse, the 18-year-old who fatally shot two people during the unrest last year in Kenosha, Wis., has been acquitted of all charges in a criminal trial that divided the nation over questions about gun rights, violence at racial justice protests and vigilantism.
The verdict, delivered Friday, follows a highly watched trial in which prosecutors struggled to overcome Rittenhouse's claim that he acted in self-defense on the night of the shootings.
"He has a huge sense of relief for what the jury did to him today. He wishes none of this would have ever happened, but as he said when he testified, he did not start this," said Rittenhouse's defense attorney Mark Richards, speaking to reporters outside the courthouse. "To say that we're relieved would be a gross misunderstatement."
In two weeks of testimony and evidence — led by a daylong turn on the stand by Rittenhouse himself — defense attorneys were able to convince the jury of 12 that the night of Aug. 25, 2020, was filled with deadly peril for the then-17-year-old.
Jurors deliberated for roughly 27 hours over the course of four daysbefore pronouncing Rittenhouse not guilty on all five counts: first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree attempted intentional homicide and two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment. The jury was also asked to consider lesser versions of several counts, but were not swayed.
"While we are disappointed with the verdict, it must be respected. We are grateful to the members of the jury for their diligent and thoughtful deliberations," said the Kenosha County District Attorney's Office in a statement. "We ask that members of our community continue to express their opinions and feelings about this verdict in a civil and peaceful manner."
Prosecutors declined to give further comment.
A chaotic night of unrest in Kenosha turns deadly
Rittenhouse armed himself with an AR-15-style rifle on a night of unrest in Kenosha sparked by the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man who was left paralyzed after an encounter with a white officer. Rittenhouse, who lived across the state line in Antioch, Ill., testified that he intended to act as a medic and help protect private property.
But the night spiraled out of control. In a series of chaotic encounters with protesters, documented thoroughly by photographs and videos, Rittenhouse shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and injured Gaige Grosskreutz, then 26.
During the trial, Rittenhouse said he feared for his life in all three cases. Rosenbaum, he said, had chased him and was grabbing for his rifle.
"Mr. Rosenbaum was chasing me. He said he was going to kill me if he got me alone. I was alone. I was running from him. I pointed it at him, and it didn't stop him from continuing to chase me," Rittenhouse testified.
Afterward, as he ran toward police, others, including Huber and Grosskreutz, began to chase him. Huber struck him with a skateboard, visual evidence confirms. Grosskreutz was holding a loaded Glock pistol, which, he admitted during cross-examination, was pointed at Rittenhouse, though he said that was unintentional.
The criminal trial ends with acquittal, but civil lawsuits could be coming
Prosecutors argued that Rittenhouse was responsible for creating those situations. He chose to bring a deadly rifle into a dangerous environment, they said, and chose to stay there even after being separated from a friend.
Rosenbaum was unarmed, they pointed out, yet Rittenhouse shot him four times, all as Rosenbaum was falling to the ground. Grosskreutz testified that he feared for his own life, given the presence of Rittenhouse's rifle, and was trying to disarm Rittenhouse, not kill him. Asked on the witness stand what was going through his mind during their encounter, Grosskreutz replied, "That I was going to die."
But prosecutors also made repeated missteps, prompting defense lawyers to request a mistrial on two occasions, the first over Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger questioning Rittenhouse's right to remain silent and a second over a drone video that prosecutors had inadvertently compressed when sharing it with defense lawyers.
And legal experts said prosecutors relied too heavily on video evidence that was difficult to interpret and witnesses who offered testimony that at times seemed to bolster Rittenhouse's case.
"The prosecution had a very difficult time establishing its own case through its own witnesses. Each of the witnesses that the prosecution put forward did something to help their case but also did something that was harmful to their case," said Charles Coleman Jr., a civil rights lawyer and former prosecutor.
In the end, jurors were ultimately persuaded by Rittenhouse's version of events.
"Some might have had concerns about the decisions that brought Mr. Rittenhouse to Kenosha that evening and how he reacted. However, unless the state proves beyond a reasonable doubt that this wasn't reasonable and that he didn't believe that he needed to use deadly force to defend himself, then the only proper verdict is acquittal," said Chris Zachar, a criminal defense attorney based in La Crosse, Wis., who was not involved in the trial.
Rittenhouse could still be sued for damages in a civil trial, where the burden of proof is lower than in criminal trials.
In a statement, Huber's parents, Karen Bloom and John Huber, said that their son "would have his day in court" and that they were "heartbroken and angry" over the acquittal.
"Today's verdict means there is no accountability for the person who murdered our son. It sends the unacceptable message that armed civilians can show up in any town, incite violence, and then use the danger they have created to justify shooting people in the street," they said.
A lightning rod of a trial, broadcast widely across the U.S.
The case has sparked passionate reactions from the American public since the moment Rittenhouse fired his rifle that night.
Nearly every aspect of the case touches on some of the country's most contentious fault lines: Second Amendment rights, self-defense, violence at racial justice protests, vigilantism and perceptions of how police and the justice system treat white people and people of color differently.
Supporters saw Rittenhouse as a champion of gun rights who bravely stepped in to protect a community from what they considered lawless riots. Opponents instead saw an irresponsible vigilante who came to Kenosha to play dress-up as a police officer — a "chaos tourist," as Binger put it.
"What comes to mind is the comment that, 'How do you stop an active shooter? Good guys with guns.' In this case, you've got Mr. Rittenhouse, who fires off four shots at somebody who's unarmed and then continues to shoot people," said Zachar. "Who's the good guy? Who's the bad guy in that scenario? No, nobody really knows."
For the past two weeks, the trial has commanded the nation's attention — thanks in no small part to the fact that nearly every minute of the proceedings was broadcast widely on TV and livestream video. Everyone from basketball star LeBron James to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., weighed in before the verdict.
The White House released a statement from President Biden on Friday saying that the verdict "will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included," but that "we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken." Biden urged people to refrain from violence and property destruction and said he had contacted Wisconsin's governor to offer "support and any assistance needed to ensure public safety."
