Rittenhouse Trial Judge Dismisses Unlawful Weapon Possession Charge

Judge Bruce Schroeder dismissed a count of possession of a dangerous weapon by a minor at the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse on Monday.

Rittenhouse was 17-years-old when he carried the weapon in question, an AR-15-style rifle, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Aug. 25, 2020.  Schroeder dismissed the charge on the grounds of an exception within the law that relates to the length of the gun’s barrel.

The relevant restrictions for possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under the age of 18 only apply if the individual possessed or was armed with a rifle or a shotgun if the firearm was a short-barreled rifle or short-barreled shotgun, or if the person was otherwise not in compliance with certain hunting regulations, Wisconsin law states.

This is the second charge thus far dismissed in Rittenhouse’s homicide trial. On Nov. 9, Schroeder also dismissed a curfew violation charge brought against Rittenhouse. Schroeder agreed with the defense’s argument that the prosecution failed to produce adequate evidence proving the curfew violation.

Rittenhouse used a rifle to kill two men and injure a third on Aug. 25, 2020. The teenager faces charges for killing Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, as well as attempting to kill Gaige Grosskreutz, now 27.