The homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse headed towards opening statements on Tuesday after a jury was selected after only one day despite the polarising nature of the case.
The jury in the politically charged case must decide whether Mr Rittenhouse acted in self-defence, as his lawyers claim, or was engaged in vigilantism when the then-17-year-old opened fire with an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle in August 2020, killing two men and wounding a third.
The jury includes 12 jurors and eight alternates; 11 are women and nine are men. Jurors were not asked to identify their race during the selection process and the court did not immediately provide a racial breakdown of the group.
Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Schroeder lamented the impact of politics on the case.
“This case has become very political. It was involved in the politics of the last election year,” Mr Schroeder said, criticising the campaigns of both major parties for weighing in on the case.
Days after the shootings, former president Donald Trump suggested Mr Rittenhouse had acted in self-defence, while Joe Biden, Mr Trump's challenger at the time, had accused Mr Trump of stoking violence with his rhetoric.
Mr Schroeder, who faced heavy media criticism last week for ruling that the three men shot by Mr Rittenhouse could be labelled looters and arsonists if there was sufficient evidence while banning the word “victim” to describe them, took aim at the media in his comments to potential jurors about avoiding bias.
“We don't want to fall into the trap that many in the media have,” he said.
“I want this case to reflect the greatness of Kenosha and the fairness of Kenosha and don't want it to get sidetracked into other issues.”
Mr Rittenhouse, 18, has become a hero to some conservatives who believe in unfettered gun rights and see the shootings as justified amid the chaos that had engulfed Kenosha, Wisconsin, on August 25, 2020, when he shot the three men.
The demonstrations had been sparked by the shooting of a black man, Jacob Blake, by a white police officer, a few days earlier. They came amid nationwide protests over racism and police brutality that rattled US cities last year.
The prosecution, led by Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger, is likely to try to choose left-leaning jurors inclined to view such protests favourably and frown upon armed citizens taking to the streets, legal experts said.
The defence is expected to focus on securing a right-leaning jury, with people that back the right to bear arms, support law enforcement and probably voted for former president Donald Trump.
With ample video evidence available, there is little dispute over the facts and the two sides will mainly focus on convincing the jury how to interpret Wisconsin law, which says someone can use deadly force if they “reasonably believe” it necessary to prevent their own death or great bodily harm.
Mr Rittenhouse is facing seven charges, including homicide in the fatal shootings of Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and attempted homicide for wounding Gaige Grosskreutz, 27.
Bystander video captured Rosenbaum chasing Mr Rittenhouse but not the actual shooting. Video showed Huber swinging a skateboard at Mr Rittenhouse before he was shot. Mr Grosskreutz had a gun in his hand as he stepped towards Mr Rittenhouse and was shot.
Prosecutors have described Mr Rittenhouse as a vigilante and a “chaos tourist” with a violent streak.
They unsuccessfully sought to introduce a pair of videos, including one that showed Mr Rittenhouse appearing to punch a girl who was fighting his sister a couple of months before the shootings, and another in which Mr Rittenhouse is heard commenting that he would like to shoot some men he thought were shoplifting from a pharmacy.
Mr Schroeder estimated the trial would last two weeks.
Agencies contributed to this report
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Leaderboard
63 - Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA)
64 - Rory McIlroy (NIR)
66 - Jon Rahm (ESP)
67 - Tom Lewis (ENG), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)
68 - Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)
69 - Justin Rose (ENG), Thomas Detry (BEL), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Danny Willett (ENG), Li Haotong (CHN), Matthias Schwab (AUT)
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
