Trial of Kyle Rittenhouse in fatal Kenosha protest shootings pushed back to November

Prosecutors and a defense attorney for Kyle Rittenhouse agreed to move the start of Rittenhouse’s trial in fatal shootings during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, from March to November 1.

Rittenhouse,18, was arraigned January 5 on two felony charges of homicide in the deaths of two men and a felony attempted homicide charge in the wounding of another man during street protests in Kenosha.

He faces charges that he killed Anthony M. Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz during protests that followed the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

Jury selection for the trial was previously set to begin on March 29.

“I believe the parties are jointly prepared to indicate to the court that we will not be prepared on that date,” Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger said Wednesday.

“There are a number of outstanding issues in discovery, some DNA testing, and some other issues that need to be taken care of,” he added.

Binger also noted that “there are also some logistics with regard to the eventual jury that will need to be hammered out.”

Rittenhouse’s attorney, Mark Richards, agreed to the move but said he’d be open to moving the date up, if feasible. “If we set a fall trial date right now and then come back in two months for another status — we’re interested in moving this matter forward,” Richards said.

Rittenhouse said he was okay with the change when asked by Judge Bruce Schroeder. He has been out on $2 million bail.

The final pretrial hearing is now set for May 17.