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Rittenhouse Judge Bans MSNBC From Trial After Man Claiming To Be Employee Tails Jury Bus

   DailyWire.com
KENOSHA, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 10: Judge Bruce Schroeder tells Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger that certain evidence is not admissible during Rittenhouse's trial at the Kenosha County Courthouse on November 10, 2021 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Rittenhouse is accused of shooting three demonstrators, killing two of them, during a night of unrest that erupted in Kenosha after a police officer shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back while being arrested in August 2020. Rittenhouse, from Antioch, Illinois, was 17 at the time of the shooting and armed with an assault rifle. He faces counts of felony homicide and felony attempted homicide. (Photo by Sean Krajacic-Pool/Getty Images)
Sean Krajacic-Pool/Getty Images

Judge Bruce Schroeder, the Wisconsin judge overseeing the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, banned MSNBC from the courthouse on Thursday after authorities pulled over a man, who claimed to be employed by MSNBC, tailing the jury’s sealed bus.

Schroeder explained the situation to the courtroom after receiving a report that police on Wednesday night had detained and ticketed a man claiming to be a producer for MSNBC. Police pulled the man over after he ran a red light while following the jury’s bus from about a block away, Schroeder said.

“The jury in this case is being transported from a different location in a bus with the windows covered so that they aren’t exposed to any signs by one side or another or interests in the case, so I’m going to call it a sealed bus, and that’s been done every day and they’re brought here to this building,” the judge said.

Schroeder went on to explain that a person claiming to be a producer at the left-wing network did so under orders from a higher-up in New York.

“Police, when they stopped him because he was following at a distance of about a block and went through a red light, pulled him over and inquired of him what was going on. He gave that information and stated that he had been instructed … to follow the jury bus,” Schroeder said.

“The matter is under further investigation at this point, and the media has asked questions about it. That’s the latest I have,” he continued. “He was ticketed for violating a traffic control signal. He is not here today, from what I’m told, and I have instructed that no one from MSNBC News will be permitted in this building for the duration of this trial.”

Schroeder added that the matter would be referred to the “proper authorities” for further investigation.

“This is a very serious matter, and I don’t know what the ultimate truth of it is, but absolutely it would go without much thinking that someone who is following a jury bus, that’s an extremely serious matter and will be referred to the proper authorities for further action,” Schroeder said.

NBC News told CNN in a statement: “Last night, a freelancer received a traffic citation. While the traffic violation took place near the jury van, the freelancer never contacted or intended to contact the jurors during deliberations, and never photographed or intended to photograph them. We regret the incident and will fully cooperate with the authorities on any investigation.”

Schroeder’s announcement followed a statement from the Kenosha Police Department released on Twitter detailing an incident on Wednesday night in which police arrested and ticketed a man they suspected was attempting to snap photographs of the Rittenhouse jury.

“Last night a person who is alleging to be affiliated with a national media outlet was briefly taken into custody and issued several traffic related citations. Police suspect this person was trying to photograph jurors. This incident is being investigated much further,” police said. “There was no breach of security regarding the jury, nor were there any photographs obtained. This investigation remains active and open, no further information.”

Thursday morning marked the third day of Jury deliberations in the Rittenhouse trial. The teen is facing five felony charges: intentional homicide, reckless homicide, attempted intentional homicide, and two counts of reckless endangerment. The teen has pleaded self-defense.

This is a developing story; refresh the page for updates. 

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