By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
Eighteen-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse was found “not guilty” on all charges Friday following a tense trial and more than three days of deliberation by a jury of seven women and five men, setting off loud protests outside the courthouse in Kenosha, Wis.
Following the verdict, gun rights leader Alan Gottlieb, founder and executive vice president of the Second Amendment Foundation, called the verdict “an affirmation that people, regardless of their age, have a right to defend themselves against violent attack, by individuals or a mob.”
During the trial, Rittenhouse, who was 17 at the time, was portrayed alternately as a trigger-happy teen looking for trouble, and as a young man trying to help people but was caught up in the middle of a riot and had to defend himself because he feared for his life.
“Anyone who viewed the video evidence and listened to the testimony would easily conclude Kyle Rittenhouse acted in self-defense,” said Gottlieb. “Fortunately, this young man’s supporters were able to raise the funds necessary for mounting a first class defense. But this was a high-profile case, and ample financial resources became available. What about lower-profile cases where people with limited resources find themselves unable to afford adequate legal counsel.
“There is no doubt this case will be analyzed and debated for months, or even years,” he observed. “What the verdict demonstrates is that reasonable people sitting in judgment of a case that should never have been brought in the first place can see through a politically-motivated prosecution and reach a verdict that is both reasonable and just.”
Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning issued the following statement reacting to the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse:
“Justice was served in the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse, breathing new life into the presumption of innocence and upholding the fundamental principle of the right to self-defense,” Manning said in a prepared statement. “The jury, which has been subject to death threats and intimidation, has proven they were willing to put that aside to uphold the American system of justice and the presumption of innocence. It is our prayer that they are left alone and able to return to their regular lives as unsung, anonymous heroes defending liberty and the justice system that is essential for the rule of law to prevail.
“The irresponsible major media companies and the President of the United States that each tried and convicted Rittenhouse based upon deliberate misinformation and libel should be held accountable by Mr. Rittenhouse using our nation’s tort system,” he added. “Let justice be done.”
Rittenhouse, now 18, would have faced a life sentence if the jury had delivered a guilty verdict.
Following the announcement, several people gathered outside the courthouse were shouting about racism and fascism. At one point, it appeared there were as many reporters as there were citizens on both sides of the issue.
