Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Schroeder ruled prosecutors in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial can not use the term "victim" to describe Joseph Rosenbaum, Anthony Huber, and Gaige Grosskreutz while the defense team can use the terms such as "rioter," "looter," or "arsonist" to describe the men Rittenhouse is charged with shooting.
"The word victim is a loaded, loaded word," Schroeder said, according to the Chicago Tribune, who further cautioned Rittenhouse's defense team to pejorative terms in opening statements but can use them during closing arguments.
"The terms that I’m identifying here such as rioter, looter, and arsonist are as loaded, if not more loaded, than the term victim," Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger said.
Prosecutors were further unable to convince Schroeder the defense wanted to tarnish Rosenbaum’s reputation so the jury could more easily justify the shooting.
"This is an attempt to tell the jury that Mr. Rosenbaum was a bad guy who deserved to die," Binger said. "That’s really what’s going on here, your honor."
Rittenhouse is charged with one count of first-degree intentional homicide; one count of first-degree reckless homicide; one count of attempted first-degree intentional homicide; and two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, according to the AP. The defense will be making the case Rittenhouse, who was 17 at the time, used the AR-15 rifle in self-defense as video from the night shows all three people in question attacking him.
The shootings took place on night three of riots in Kenosha that were sparked when a police officer shot Jacob Blake, a black man armed with a knife, in the back seven times with his children in the vehicle. Officers were called on Blake by his girlfriend and there was a warrant out for his arrest at the time of the shooting. Both the Kenosha County District Attorney and the Department of Justice have ruled the shooting justified.
Liberals and progressives were greatly upset at the news of Schroeder preventing prosecutors from referring to Rosenbaum, Huber, and Grosskreutz as "victims":
Those words don't seem loaded at all. How in the fornication can you have someone on trial for murder and not have victims?
— Machine Pun Kelly (@KellyScaletta) October 26, 2021
"bullet recipients"?
— Randi Mayem Singer (@rmayemsinger) October 26, 2021
"hunted human targets"?
Judges matter. The mass installation of these GQPNRA White Nationalist judges is the other often overlooked component of this slow moving coup.
I wonder if he applies the same logic to antivaxxers who die from COVID. Since “victim” is apparently too loaded, perhaps we should start calling them “voluntary casualties”.
— Michael Lastoria (@__lastoria) October 26, 2021
they were alive before rittenhouse came along. he killed them. they're his victims. https://t.co/1Lzu7d42XC
— drew olanoff (@yoda) October 26, 2021
Kyle Rittenhouse crossed state lines and murdered two peaceful protesters. And the judge won’t even allow attorneys to call the deceased “victims.”
— Bryan Behar (@bryanbehar) October 26, 2021
Something tells me not to expect the world’s fairest trial.
That is exactly what they are. By definition. pic.twitter.com/a7Q0U8XZpJ
— iDaveMac (@iDaveMac2020) October 26, 2021
This should immediately be appealed. The victims are not on trial in Kyle Rittenhouse case and none of them were charged or convicted of a crime. The families should very well take action for the judges defamatory actions
— ?????????????? ???????? (@exavierpope) October 26, 2021