CNN chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin on Monday slammed the judge in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse as he was giving instructions to the jury, calling the display “the most incomprehensible collection of instructions that I have ever heard.”
Rittenhouse was 17 years old when he shot three men, killing two, during riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last year after the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Rittenhouse is facing multiple charges related to the shootings. Rittenhouse’s attorneys have argued that Rittenhouse was acting in self-defense, while the prosecution has claimed otherwise. On Monday, the judge, Bruce Schroeder, dismissed the charge of Rittenhouse being a minor possessing a firearm.
During a pause in the judge giving the jury instructions on how to arrive at their verdicts, CNN anchor Kate Bolduan asked Toobin for his reaction to what just took place.
“If I can just focus on a somewhat bigger picture, I feel so sorry for these jurors. What the hell is he talking about?! I mean, this is the most incomprehensible collection of instructions that I have ever heard,” said Toobin. “I mean, jury instructions as a rule are terrible in the United States.”
“I mean, but to ask reasonable, normal people to listen to this droning recitation and expect them to make sense of it is really extraordinary, especially now, I don’t know what he’s confused about. But I just think it is an appalling…” continued Toobin, who was interrupted by Bolduan as the judge resumed the
Watch above, via CNN.