Judge dismisses gun charge against Kyle Rittenhouse as trial nears end

[kpete]

(CNN)Judge Bruce Schroeder dismissed a misdemeanor weapons charge against Kyle Rittenhouse on Monday prior to the start of closing arguments in his homicide trial.

The charge, possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18, was punishable by up to nine months in prison and a $10,000 fine. Rittenhouse now faces five felony charges and, if convicted on the most serious charge, could face a mandatory sentence of life in prison.

Closing arguments will be given for up to five hours Monday. Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder will issue jury instructions and then the jury of eight men and 10 women will be narrowed to 12 people by a drawing of names before deliberations begin.

The closing arguments will be delivered at the end of a two-week trial highlighted by emotional and illuminating testimony from Rittenhouse himself, who said he acted in self-defense when he killed two people and wounded another on the night of August 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The prosecution rested its case last Tuesday and the defense then rested Friday.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/15/us/kyle-rittenhouse-verdict-wisconsin-national-guard/index.html

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[Aristus]

1. Jesus, Wisconsin! Alabama in the 1950's was not worthy of emulation!

[janterry]

2. Is this true? Wisconsin statue

says a 17 year-old can possess a rifle or shotgun as long as it’s not a short barreled rifle or shotgun. The prosecution agreed the gun was not a short barreled rifle or shotgun.

???

(Don't know anything at all about guns)

[NickB79]

3. A short barreled gun requires an ATF tax stamp to own

A barrel under 16" on a rifle, 18" on a shotgun. You can't just walk in and buy one from a gun shop like he had his friend do.

His AR had a standard 16" barrel.

[Calista241]

4. It's a very poorly written law.

Why the legislature set the age for rifle usage at 16, when they could have set the age at 18 like every other gun law, I have no idea. He was still proscribed from owning or purchasing the rifle, but apparently usage was just fine.

The prosecution tried to say that the law was poorly written, and that the legislative intent was to ban usage for people age 17, but unfortunately that's not what the law says.

[NickB79]

5. It relates to hunting

Deer hunting is a religion up here. Lots of 16 yr olds take time off school to hit the woods this time of year.