Kyle Rittenhouse’s lawyer filed a motion to admit evidence showing that one of the victims his client shot and killed was a sex offender, who wanted to take Rittenhouse’s gun because he couldn’t legally possess one.
Mark Richards, Rittenhouse’s Wisconsin-based attorney, said that Joseph Rosenbaum was convicted of having sex with a minor in Arizona in 2002 and was therefore prohibited from possessing any guns.
Richards argued in the motion that Rittenhouse protected himself in self-defense after Rosenbaum started the altercation with Rittenhouse supposedly in an attempt to steal his rifle.
Richards also asked the court to dismiss one of the charges against Rittenhouse for possessing a gun while being under the legal age.
Rittenhouse, 18, was arrested for shooting and killing Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and injuring a third person during civil unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on August 25.
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 Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger filed a motion last week asking the court to admit evidence that shows Rittenhouse assaulted a female in Kenosha on June 1, 2020.
Binger said the assault on the woman shows Rittenhouse’s “intent to cause bodily harm.” That incident stems from a video that surfaced on social media showing Rittenhouse with other teens near the lakefront in Kenosha.
Binger said that Rittenhouse involved himself in a heated argument between two girls by grabbing one of them and punching her in the back repeatedly.
He then chased the girl down as she ran and began punching her again repeatedly before bystanders stepped in to break up the incident, Binger said in the motion.
The motion also asked the court to allow the prosecution to admit evidence showing Rittenhouse’s association with the “Proud Boys organization, a violently racist organization.”
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 at a bar.
Surveillance photos showed Rittenhouse posing for pictures with the leaders of the Proud Boys organization while flashing their “OK” sign, Binger said.
Kenosha County Judge Bruce Schroeder has set a tentative trial date for November 1 but warned the trial could be delayed further.
Rittenhouse was released from the Kenosha County Jail on November 20 after posting a $2 million cash bond.
The Kenosha shootings that Rittenhouse is charged with happened on August 25 during a night of civil unrest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
Rittenhouse’s friend, Dominick Black, admitted to detectives that he purchased an AR-15 style rifle for Rittenhouse.
Prosecutors have said that Black asked Rittenhouse, who was 17 at the time, to help him guard Car Source, a Kenosha car dealership, from looting and damage on the night of August 25.
The owner of Car Source has denied that he ever requested Rittenhouse or Black to help guard his business.
Rittenhouse has maintained that the shootings were self-defense after the three victims attacked him.