‘Is That Theatrical? Broadway’s Ready’: Judge Reacts on CNN to Rittenhouse’s Testimony
A former judge reacted on CNN on Thursday to the Kyle Rittenhouse trial by asking if it is “theatrical” and, if so, “Broadway’s ready.”
Rittenhouse was 17 years old when he shot three victims, killing two, during riots in Kenosha, WI, last year after the shooting of Jacob Blake by police. Rittenhouse is currently on trial for multiple charges related to the shootings, and testified in his own defense on Wednesday.
Larry Seidlin, who’s famous for presiding over the case regarding who would get custody of the body of the late model and actress Anna Nicole Smith, was asked by CNN Newsroom co-host Jim Sciutto how the judge in the case could bring “a lesser charge” against Rittenhouse.
Seidlin responded:
The judge would, at the end of the case, reflect on the facts of the case, and then the prosecutor would urge the judge to read the following jury instructions to the jury. The defense attorney may welcome that concept or may say, “Let’s roll the dice. Either he’s guilty of homicide or he’s not.” The prosecutor will urge the judge to try to get lesser-included offenses because it’s very difficult with this fact pattern to get convictions on the homicide.
Even though this young man, this 17-year-old boy, is walking around that ugly environment, that toxic environment, with a rifle, it’s still going to be difficult. Two of the individuals that were killed, that died, they’re no longer obviously alive to tell their side of the story.
They positioned it well. I’m practicing law now 14 years since my case that was pretty high-profile, and what I do is what this defense did. They put the mother right in that courtroom and said bring plenty of tissues, because the jury’s looking at the mother crying.
Is that staged? Is that theatrical? Broadway’s ready. And then the defendant, when he takes the witness stand, this 18-year-old boy, he tears up for the jury, trying to show them they’re both very human. The question for the jury would say is “other mothers kiss their children off saying you’re doing school today, doing employment.” This kid’s going off to another state with a rifle in a very ugly environment, in a riot. And where was she prior to that moment, prior to the moment of being in this courtroom? There’s a lot of stuff going on.
And this judge picked a jury in one day. If it was the O.J. Simpson case, it would have been weeks. This judge doesn’t mess around. He was able to force those lawyers, be on top of them, to pick the jury in one day. It’s pretty incredible.
Watch above, via CNN.
