Potential jurors in Kyle Rittenhouse's trial were asked their opinions on AR-15 rifles, and some said they were afraid they'd face threats if chosen to serve
- Jury choice started Monday within the Kyle Rittenhouse's murder trial.
- Rittenhouse is accused of killing two males and injuring one other throughout unrest in Wisconsin final yr.
- Potential jurors have been questioned extensively about their information of and opinions on weapons.
Potential jurors within the Kyle Rittenhouse trial have been questioned extensively on their information of weapons, whereas some within the pool stated they have been nervous about threats in the event that they sat on the case, as jury choice kicked off Monday.
Rittenhouse was 17 years previous in August 2020, when he shot and killed two males and injured one other throughout unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, following the police capturing of Jacob Blake.
Rittenhouse traveled to Kenosha to guard companies from injury by the demonstrators, and his protection staff will argue that he acted in self defense.
Most of the questions that Rittenhouse's lawyer, Corey Chirafisi, posed to jurors on Monday centered on their information of weapons and their opinions on semi-automatic weapons.
Many within the pool of potential jurors stated they personal weapons or are avid hunters. One lady stated she acquired a weapon through the unrest final yr in an effort to shield herself.
Chirafisi additionally requested whether or not the potential jurors had strongly held opinions about AR-15s, the type of rifle that Rittenhouse used within the capturing.
AR-15-style rifles are semi-automatic, and there was debate over whether or not they need to be authorized within the US, because of their use in mass capturing occasions.
One lady was dismissed from the jury when she stated that she didn't assume anybody must be allowed to personal an AR-15, and stated her opinion was so robust it might make her prejudiced towards Rittenhouse.
"I don't really feel a weapon like that ought to belong to most of the people," she stated.
One other man who shared comparable opinions stated he thought he could possibly be neutral. He was nonetheless within the potential jury pool as of Monday night, when jury choice started to wind down.
Whereas Kenosha County Decide Bruce Schroeder stated he hoped to seat the jury in a single day, he later stretched that estimate to 2.
A few potential jurors additionally expressed worries about how deciding the case would impression their lives.
"Both method this goes, half the nation is upset with you," one potential juror stated. "It's simply scary. I don't need individuals to have my identify, I don't need to be seen on TV."
She added that she took another person's automotive to the courtroom out of fears she may later be recognized. One other lady stated she feared the identical factor, and took a Lyft as an alternative of driving herself to the courthouse.
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