Major development in Rittenhouse case:
The judge & parties all agree that the jury may consider lesser charges.
This strongly increases the odds that Rittenhouse will get convicted of something — while reducing odds that he’ll get convicted of murder1 (which were low anyway).
The judge & parties all agree that the jury may consider lesser charges.
This strongly increases the odds that Rittenhouse will get convicted of something — while reducing odds that he’ll get convicted of murder1 (which were low anyway).
Deeper cut: Rittenhouse’s lawyers are making a bet that their best hope is a sympathetic juror who refuses to convict of anything. So they want to reduce the risk of worst-case scenario of murder1 and a life sentence.
The prosecution is willing to give away murder1 (which was unlikely) in exchange of raising the odds of the murder2-type charges — where the state of mind required is recklessness not intentional planning.
The fact pattern for Rittenhouse is arguably a textbook murder2 — by showing up with an assault rifle against unarmed individuals he was showing a reckless disregard for human life.
The ultimate question is whether the jury strikes a compromise verdict that satisfies any potential holdout(s) who may want Rittenhouse to walk — with lesser charges that are still homicide and carry significant prison time but are not “first degree intentional” i.e. murder1
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