The legal team for acquitted murder defendant Kyle Rittenhouse, 19, will once again appear before Judge Bruce Schroeder, but this time regarding their client’s $2 million bail money. They are expected to seek the return of that money. So are other parties who said they contributed to his pre-trial release. Court is scheduled to begin 11:30 a.m. CT / 12:30 p.m. ET. You can watch in the player above.
Several parties with links to the money have reached a tentative agreement to split up the $2 million bail funds. The Aug. 25, 2020 triple shooting became a cause célèbre among right-wingers. Actor Ricky Schroder would get back $150,000. The law firm of Rittenhouse attorney Mark Richards would get $925,000 in a trust for the client. The #FightBack Foundation, who was linked to two former, estranged Rittenhouse attorneys Lin Wood and John Pierce, would get the remaining $925,000.
Standing in the way, however, is Pierce creditor Karish Kapital, a litigation financer who said they gave $300,000, with the expectation of getting it back plus interest.
This will be interesting to see if Judge Schroeder okays the stipulation by Fight Back and Kyle. Under WI law, the money goes back to the person who posted it. The bail was posted by John Pierce through his firm’s trust account. Might be a fight. @LawCrimeNetwork
— Angenette Levy (@Angenette5) January 28, 2022
Rittenhouse was acquitted in November for killing Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and injuring Gaige Grosskreutz, now 27, amid protests over a Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer shooting and paralyzing local man Jacob Blake. Rosenbaum, Huber, and Grosskreutz were there as protesters. Rittenhouse was in the area amid the pandemic doing lifeguard work, and he joined other armed men, ostensibly conservatives, who took it upon themselves to protect private property as protests turned violent.
Critics, including prosecutors at trial, said Rittenhouse was just looking for trouble, but the defense said that Rosenbaum instigated the initial confrontation with Rittenhouse. The defendant, then age 17, killed him in self-defense and ran. Others in the area, including Huber and Grosskreutz, worried about there being a shooter, the prosecution said. The defense maintained that Rittenhouse once again acted in self-defense by shooting Huber and Grosskreutz, who were among the crowd chasing him.
Adam Klasfeld contributed to this report.
[Image via Mark Hertzberg/Zuma Press Wire/Pool]
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