Judge Bruce Schroeder, who is overseeing the Kyle Rittenhouse trial, has confirmed the jury’s worst nightmare: an individual was caught filming the jurors at the bus pick-up that was scheduled to bring them to court.
In an announcement in the Kenosha County courtroom, Judge Schroeder said: “It was reported to me… that this morning there was someone there and was video recording the jury.”
It has been speculated that filming jurors may have been an attempt to intimidate them.
Deputies caught the individual, and allegedly instructed him to delete the footage.
“I’ve been assured the officers had the video that was taken deleted. New measures are being taken to make sure that does not reoccur,” Judge Schroeder told the jury as they arrived that morning.
The problem is, the damage has likely been done. Deleting images and videos doesn’t necessarily completely erase them, as there are several methods for recovery. Even if the footage was completely erased, the fact that the jury is now aware of attempts to dox them, and they may already be in fear of their lives. The incident may be enough to intimidate them into convicting Kyle Rittenhouse even if they do not believe he is guilty, to avoid retaliation against them, or riots in their towns and neighborhoods.
You can't just "delete" footage
Not only can apps store the video in two locations so you can make it appear you deleted it, you can always use recovery services to get the video back https://t.co/N6DQovrtij
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) November 9, 2021
Breitbart News reports:
“There have been concerns throughout the trial over attempts to intimidate the jury. The media and Democrats, who falsely cast Rittenhouse as a white supremacist mass murderer, have generally primed the public to expect a conviction. The facts, however, have always suggested a strong possibility of acquittal on the grounds of self-defense, as Rittenhouse was being attacked when he shot his pursuers — a reality acknowledged on the witness stand by two prosecution witnesses thus far.
A supposed relative of George Floyd, the man whose murder by police last year in Minneapolis, Minnesota, triggered riots nationwide, has allegedly called for Rittenhouse jurors to be intimidated, and specifically by taking photographs of them.”