A judge denied prosecutors’ request to issue an arrest warrant for Kyle Rittenhouse and also declined to increase his bond after the teen failed to update his home address with the court.
Rittenhouse, 18, formerly of Antioch, was arrested for shooting and killing two people and injuring a third person during civil unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin last summer.
He was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, first-degree reckless homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide and possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18.
Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder held a court hearing Thursday afternoon after prosecutors filed a motion arguing Rittenhouse violated conditions of his $2 million bond.
Rittenhouse listed his home residence in November as being in the 200 block of Anita Terrace in Antioch, but prosecutors said that was false and he no longer resides there.
A notice mailed to the address on December 22 was returned unclaimed on January 28, according to the motion.
Prosecutors added that the same Anita Terrace address was listed on the bond that Rittenhouse signed on January 22 and he failed to correct it.
During the court hearing, Schroeder denied prosecutors’ request to increase the bond by $200,000.
“No matter what feelings anyone has, I took an oath to follow the constitution and that’s what I’ll do,” Schroeder said, adding that Rittenhouse’s failure to update his address was not a reason to raise his bond or send him back to jail.
Rittenhouse’s Wisconsin-based attorney, Mark Richards, previously responded to the issue by saying that his client would be put in danger if his current home address was public record.
Richards said that his client has received numerous death and other threats, including threats of rape, following the immediate hours of the August 25 shootings.
Richards added that Rittenhouse lives at an undisclosed “safe house” and he would only provide the address to the court if it could be withheld from public record.
The Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office said in response that Rittenhouse “apparently believes the rules do not apply to him” by refusing to provide his current address.
“He is, after all, charged with murdering two people and severely injuring a third. Understandably this causes great concern in the community. The public has a right to know where he lives.”
The Twitter account “FreeKyleUSA” tweeted on February 4 that they would be setting up an irrevocable trust to “strictly for the benefit of Kyle.”
They said that California-based attorney John Pierce, who had represented Rittenhouse, opposed the idea of the trust.
“John Pierce was terminated by Kyle on Monday morning. His association with FreeKyleUSA was also terminated. When we begin raising funds again, John Pierce has no involvement and is not connected in any way to the funds being raised. John does not speak for Kyle anymore,” the tweet said.
In late January, a judge modified Rittenhouse’s bond requirements barring the teen from consuming alcohol and from being around any hate groups after he was seen posing with members of the Proud Boys.
Rittenhouse was released from the Kenosha County Jail on November 20 after posting a $2 million cash bond.