Kyle Rittenhouse, the 18-year-old accused of fatally shooting two men and wounding a third during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last August will remain out on bail, a judge in Wisconsin ruled Thursday.
Prosecutors had asked for an arrest warrant and a bond increase of $ 200,000 after alleging Rittenhouse had violated the conditions of his bail by failing to update the court of his current address.
Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Bruce E. Schroeder denied the motions during a virtual hearing on bail conditions.
Schroeder said that Rittenhouse was in violation of not updating his address but it was not a reason to increase bail. He ordered the defense team to give the court the new address, but it will be kept secret.
Schroeder said he didn’t have the authority to issue an arrest warrant.
The teen, who has pleaded not guilty to two felony charges of homicide and a felony attempted homicide charge, is out on $ 2 million bail.
Attorneys for Rittenhouse have said threats have forced the teen to find another place to live rather than his listed address.
Attorney John Pierce, who was part of Rittenhouse’s defense team until mid-January, earlier signed an affidavit saying that due to the numerous death threats, “arrangements were made for the Rittenhouse family to reside at a ‘Safe House’ in an unidentified location” once bail was posted.
Prosecutors say Rittenhouse was at protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, when he fired at protesters.
He is accused in the shooting deaths of Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum and the wounding of Gaige Grosskreutz. Rittenhouse’s attorneys have maintained he acted in self-defense.
