The former chief adviser to former President Barack Obama, David Axelrod, tweeted about the homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse Monday, labeling the judge a “de facto defense attorney.”
The statement of perceived bias from the Obama-era adviser followed Judge Bruce Schroeder’s dismissal of a misdemeanor gun charge against the 18-year-old Rittenhouse, who faces five additional charges in the fatal shooting of two protesters during a night of unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August of 2020.
“This kid has the great good fortune of a de facto defense attorney on the bench,” Axelrod tweeted. “In keeping with the Wisconsin state motto, the judge’s message to gun-toting vigilantes: Forward!”
PROSECUTOR CRITICIZED FOR CLAIMING RITTENHOUSE LOST RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENSE WHEN HE ‘BROUGHT THE GUN’
In keeping with the Wisconsin state motto, the judge’s message to gun-toting vigilantes:
Forward! https://t.co/Fes5jJJ2Wp— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) November 15, 2021
Ahead of closing arguments Monday, Schroeder dismissed the weapons charge. The judge sided with the defense and ruled state law does not ban a 17-year-old from carrying a rifle with a long barrel due to a narrow exemption in the state’s law. The penalty for the misdemeanor carried a maximum possible sentence of nine months in jail and up to a $10,000 fine.
Schroeder noted he had “big problems with the gun statute,” adding: “I’ve made no bones about that from the beginning.”
The judge has also generated headlines throughout the case. Schroeder has repeatedly criticized prosecutors for their tactics and issued Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger a stern warning over what he perceived as violations of his orders last week.
Earlier in the trial, Schroeder slammed the “reputable” media sites for “totally bizarre” coverage of Rittenhouse’s case.
Schroeder was also criticized last week by multiple outlets after his cellphone, with the ringtone “God Bless the U.S.A.,” went off in court. The song was routinely played at former President Donald Trump’s campaign rallies.
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Rittenhouse, then 17, of Antioch, Illinois, faces five criminal charges ranging from intentional homicide to recklessly endangering safety. He has pleaded not guilty. If convicted of the most serious charge, he could spend the rest of his life behind bars.
