Judge Bruce Schroeder, who’s overseeing the trial of teenager Kyle Rittenhouse, granted a female juror’s request to take home a set of full jury instructions on Thursday night.
“Can you take the jury instructions home? Um, uh, uh, yes,” Judge Schroeder responded, after thinking over the question to himself. As the judge was weighing his decision, the defense team was seen slightly shaking their heads no.
After the jury was dismissed home, the judge noted the defense team’s apparent disapproval. Defense attorney Mark Richards told Judge Schroeder he was worried allowing the instructions to be taken home would lead to some sort of internet research.
The judge quickly dismissed the concern, claiming jurors could look things up with or without the 36 pages of instructions in front of them at home.
After the back and forth, the judge dismissed court for the day — the third full day of jury deliberation. The 12 jurors and six alternates will go home for the night and return back to the courthouse Friday morning to continue deliberation.
As usual, Schroeder told jurors not to look at any media about the case, and resist talking about the case with anyone while they are away from the court.
Earlier in the day, Schroeder banned MSNBC from the courthouse for the remainder of the trial after someone from MSNBC was pulled over after allegedly following the jury’s sealed bus. The Daily Wire reported:
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.
“Last night, a freelancer received a traffic citation,” NBC News responded to the incident. “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.”
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