Wisconsin prosecutors on Wednesday asked to issue an arrest warrant for Rittenhouse, saying he violated his bail agreement by not disclosing his address after his release. Rittenhouse’s legal team responded with the need to keep his location a secret due to the allegations of death threats against him.
Much attention has been paid to the proceedings in the Rittenhouse case, especially as a famous case among right-wing circles. His supporters hailed the news on November 20 that he left prison after an apparent fundraising effort reached the required $ 2 million.
Now where he awaits trial is in question.
Rittenhouse faces allegations in Kenosha, Wisconsin, regarding the gunshot deaths of Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum and the injury of Gaige Grosskreutz. Rittenhouse’s attorneys have argued that he acted in self-defense.
Rittenhouse left the scene shortly after the August 25 shooting and returned to his home in Antioch, Ill., Where he was arrested the next day.
On October 30, he was extradited from Illinois to Wisconsin. The following week, his bail was set at $ 2 million as the court deemed him a “flight risk,” according to Kenosha County Commissioner Loren Keating.
Rittenhouse was released on Nov. 20 after #FightBack chairman and CEO Lin Wood was released on $ 2 million, according to the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department.
Wood said in a tweet that Mike Lindell, CEO of My Pillow, Inc., and others helped raise the necessary funds for Rittenhouse.
“God bless ALL who donated to help raise #FightBack required a $ 2 million cash deposit. Thanks to everyone who helped this boy,” read the tweet.
On December 3, Rittenhouse attended a remote preliminary hearing via videoconference with Mark Richards, his lawyer. Richards accused prosecutors at the hearing of presenting a “one-sided and stilted view” of the events of the night. The court ruled that Rittenhouse would stand trial.
On arraignment Jan. 5, Rittenhouse pleaded not guilty to two counts of homicide and attempted manslaughter, among other counts. He assisted virtually via Zoom.
State requests for additional restrictions
Less than two hours after his arraignment, Rittenhouse, now 18, was seen at a local bar with his mother, an outing confirmed by surveillance video, prosecutors said.
In a motion filed to change the terms of Rittenhouse’s terms of obligation, prosecutors said Rittenhouse had been seen with other people flashing the “OK” sign, which was co-opted as a “white power” sign by known white supremacist groups “. and was “directly served a beer by the bartender.”
In Wisconsin, it is legal for a person under the age of 21 to possess and consume alcohol if a parent is present. Rittenhouse cannot legally consume alcohol in public in his home state of Illinois.
Prosecutors also called for a ban on Rittenhouse “from publicly displaying symbols and gestures associated with violent white supremacist groups and from associating with known members of those groups, especially the Proud Boys.”
Attorney Richards said in a filing that Rittenhouse had never been a member of the listed groups and did not oppose the new terms regarding alcohol, white supremacist hand signals and group membership. .
The latest developments on Wednesday prompted prosecutors to seek an arrest warrant for Rittenhouse, as stated in a court application that he “violated the terms of his bail by failing to update his address in writing to the court in 48 hours following his move “. An increase in obligations of $ 200,000 is also being considered.
Attorney John Pierce, who was on the Rittenhouse defense team until mid-January, signed an affidavit filed Wednesday saying that due to numerous death threats, “arrangements have been made for the Rittenhouse family resides in a “refuge” in an unidentified location “once a bond has been posted.
Rittenhouse is due to return to court on March 10, with jury selection set to begin on March 29.
CNN’s Omar Jimenez, Joe Sutton, Brad Parks, Artemis Moshtaghian, Kay Jones and Ray Sanchez contributed to this report.
