Rittenhouse juror dismissed after joke about Blake shooting
Judge Bruce Schroeder is overseeing the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse.[Courtroom pool video via ABC]
KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — The judge presiding over Kyle Rittenhouse’s murder trial has dismissed a juror after a court security officer reported that the man told a joke about the shooting of Jacob Blake by a white Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer.
Blake’s shooting set off the protests where Rittenhouse shot three people.
Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder said Thursday that the security officer reported the remarks earlier this week. Prosecutors said the remarks as shared showed racial bias.
In dismissing the juror, Schroeder said it was "clear that the appearance of bias is present and it would seriously undermine the outcome of the case."
The juror responded: "It wasn’t anything to do with the case. It wasn’t anything to do with Kyle."
Schroeder told the juror that it was poor judgement.