Kyle Rittenhouse’s murder trial began Monday with the task of seating jurors who can have an open mind about the aspiring police officer in Kenosha, Wis., who shot two people to death and wounded a third during Black Lives Matter protests.
Rittenhouse, 18, is facing seven charges, including homicide in the fatal shootings of Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, as well as attempted homicide for wounding Gaige Grosskreutz, 27.
Prosecutors and the defense will begin quizzing potential jurors for their political leanings and perceived biases, with the expected focus to be on issues such as policing and gun rights.
“As much as the judge does not to want this to be a political trial, politics are going to run deep through this thing,” said Keith Findley, a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Rittenhouse opened fire as riots erupted in the city on Aug. 25, 2020, following the police shooting a few days earlier of Jacob Blake, a black man who was left paralyzed from the waist down.
Prosecutors are expected to argue that Rittenhouse traveled to Kenosha seeking out conflict.
The defense has argued that Rittenhouse, who claims that he traveled to the city to protect a business, feared for his life in each encounter.
With Post wires
