This is one of many post mortems of the Kyle Rittenhouse homocide trial. Right now the lines are drawn pretty much at will future protestors be fair game for police and vigilantes, thereby chilling freedom of assembly, or was this trial a one-off and progress is being made against the societal forces that formed this situation in Kenosha to begin with? Right now there’s less support for the latter theory.
This situation represents an outrageous failure to protect protesters by the Kenosha Police Department and Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office.
— ACLU (@ACLU) November 19, 2021
Despite Kyle Rittenhouse’s conscious decision to travel across state lines and injure one person and take the lives of two people protesting the shooting of Jacob Blake by police, he was not held responsible for his actions.
Unfortunately, this is not surprising.
— ACLU (@ACLU) November 19, 2021
It is far too easy to overlook the impact that violence in defense of white supremacy has on the Black and Brown communities.
— ACLU (@ACLU) November 19, 2021
No one should be targeted, threatened, or attacked for exercising our First Amendment right to protest. It is our right to protest and demand justice.
We’ll be watching to ensure no one — including law enforcement — interferes with that right.
— ACLU (@ACLU) November 19, 2021
you can "watch" all you want…protesters are risking their life…as of today it got more dangerous….YOU CANT STOP IT…people were murdered and the shooter walks…it will become open season
— goshorn_s #ForThePeopleAct #JohnLewisVotingRights (@goshorn_s) November 19, 2021
The bottom tweeter’s reaction is all too common right now.
And here is another common reaction: Rittenhouse should get rich suing the media.
I would say that this is the most common right wing take right now after the verdict. Lots of these tweets that somehow think Rittenhouse is going to bankrupt media outlets by suing them now. Just like OJ did after he was acquitted, right? These people are idiots. pic.twitter.com/LGisVacbmj
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) November 19, 2021
And here was the reaction outside the courthouse, straight out of MAGA Central Casting.
Outside the Kenosha courthouse right after the verdict was read. pic.twitter.com/fnGeQvPctB
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) November 19, 2021
Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty on all charges. pic.twitter.com/2XAmHIPINZ
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) November 19, 2021
Let’s see where it goes from here, but I don’t see any civil litigation at first blush. Rittenhouse isn’t a deep enough pocket for the families of the deceased to sue him civilly, as was the case with O.J. Simpson — although maybe he will be worth a lot of money in a few years. He might be on his way to Washington, D.C. right now to work for either Matt Gaetz or Madison Cawthorn. Maybe he’ll pen a best seller.
And for his part, I don’t see Rittenhouse prevailing in any defamation suits against the media.
But again, who knows? There is only one thing to be sure of in today’s culture war and that is that there’s nothing to be sure of.
There is always all that money the right donated for his defense fund. Probably wouldn’t be legal to try to get some of that.
Wasn’t there a federal case some years ago where someone who had been acquited in a state court was charged afterwards for ‘violating the civil rights’ of the victims?
Over here in rainy Norn Iron, there is the ability for the prosecution to appeal a ruling (where the defendant walks and there are grounds for belief that the veridict was faulty. I think it’s time the US looked at implementing that in light of the blatant corruption of justice that occured.
There is some talk on Twitter about federal charges. It’s Twitter, I can’t say if it’s reliable. Have to hope there might be SOME consequences for murdering two people and disabling a third. I don’t care if the jury didn’t say murder; those people are dead. They were murdered.
We are so broken.
Murder boy had better always keep one eye looking over his shoulder: he will have a target on his back until it is no longer needed. After all, it’s open season now and if these RWNJ’s think they are the only firearm owners they are as sadly deluded.