Kyle Ritternhouse went to court last week to get his rifle back following his acquittal during the high-profile jury trial late last year. While he failed to get his rifle, he did get his phone and clothes back. He will also get a share of the $2 million bail fund that was raised to gain his release and pay his legal defense team.
Rittenhouse didn’t actually appear in person, but instead through his attorney. Even though he won’t get his AR-15 rifle back, he struck a deal to ensure the gun’s destruction. The crime lab will videotape the process to ensure it’s done. Rittenhouse has said he wanted the gun destroyed for personal reasons.
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has the story (via Yahoo News):
Kyle Rittenhouse’s rifle will be dismantled at the Wisconsin state crime lab in April, and he will get to keep nearly $1 million of the crowd-funded bail that was posted to keep him out of jail during his homicide trial last year.
At a short hearing Friday, Judge Bruce Schroeder approved two deals. One, agreed to by Rittenhouse, was to let authorities destroy the rifle. The other was to divvy up his $2 million bail with actor Ricky Schroder and a Texas non-profit organization led by Atlanta lawyer Lin Wood.
Under the agreement, $920,000 will be paid, in trust, to Richards & Dimmer, the Racine law firm that defended Rittenhouse. Another $925,000 will go to #FightBack Foundation. Schroder, who posed with Rittenhouse soon after he was released on bail, gets back $150,000 he contributed.
Rittenhouse said he wanted the gun back — along with the clothing he wore the night of the shootings — so that he could destroy it.
While Rittenhouse’s legal ordeal is likely over, he’s still a much-hated individual to many. If he’s still an Illinois resident, hopefully he’s gotten his FOID card reinstated and purchased a new gun. Or three.