Kyle Rittenhouse’s murder trial Monday dismissed a count of possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18, a misdemeanor that had appeared to be among the likeliest of the charges to net a conviction for prosecutors.The judge then launched into 36 pages of legal instructions to the jury, explaining the charges and the laws of self-defense.
After that, the two sides were expected to deliver closing arguments, the final word before the jury was to begin deliberations.Rittenhouse, 18, killed two men and wounded a third in the summer of 2020 during a turbulent protest against racial injustice, in a case that has underscored bitter division in the U.S.