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I'm not a criminal defense attorney, I'm only the son of one. But like any 70-something I have watched and read countless cases of homicide, and I see the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman case as indicative of what may happen in this case.
First degree murder (or as they are calling it, first degree intentional homicide) can not be proven. Kyle Rittenhouse shot strangers, no premeditation or malice can be shown against any individual.
Second degree murder is a little easier. The accused fired point-blank-- in the case of Mr. Rosenbaum, multiple shots-- with a weapon he had to have known would likely cause death.
Rosenbaum threw a plastic bag at Rittenhouse. Just as the shooting of Blake was criminal over-reaction-- I predict the shooter will be fired, tried and convicted, maybe the other cops, as with the Floyd case-- the callow 17-year-old far, far over-reacted.
The bearing of a loaded assault weapon does lead to the conclusion that before driving from Antioch, Illinois, where he was eventually arrested, Rittenhouse considered himself to be entering a combat situation where he might be called upon to defend himself by use of deadly force. And the facts that after killing Rosenbaum, he told a friend he did it, and left that scene running, mean that he was conscious that he had committed a crime.
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