CASE.
THANKS, GARRETT.
I WANT TO GO TO TED WILLIAMS,
THE FORMER D.C. HOMICIDE
DETECTIVE AND ATTORNEY.
VERY EARLY ON, HE WAS QUITE
CRITICAL OF HOW THE PROSECUTORS
HAD HANDLED THIS CASE.
TED, FIRST OFF, YOUR REACTION TO
NOT GUILTY ACROSS THE BOARD.
>> HI, NEIL.
I BELIEVE REALLY THAT THERE’S NO
WINNERS IN THIS CASE.
WE HAVE TWO MEN WHO ARE DEAD,
ONE WHO WAS SEVERELY WOUNDED.
WE HAVE A 18-YEAR-OLD KID, KYLE
RITTENHOUSE, THAT I BELIEVE GOT
IN OVER HIS HEAD.
BUT KYLE RITTENHOUSE WAS CLOSED
IN WHAT WE DEFINED AS
SELF-DEFENSE.
HE HAD A RIGHT ON THAT NIGHT TO
DEFEND HIMSELF.
HE BELIEVED APPARENTLY AND THE
JURY BELIEVED THAT HE WAS IN
GREAT FEAR OF BODILY HARM.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FACT THAT
KYLE RITTENHOUSE, THE FIRST
PERSON THAT HE SHOT WAS COMING
AT HIM, WAS ROSENBAUM.
AT THAT STAGE, HE TRIED TO
ESCAPE FROM THE SCENE THAT WAS
GOING ON THERE.
ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU HAVE HUBER
WITH A SKATEBOARD THAT IS TRYING
TO HIT HIM OVER THE HEAD.
THAT IN AND OF ITSELF COULD HAVE
BEEN CONSIDERED A DANGEROUS
WEAPON.
AND THEN YOU HAD THE THIRD
VICTIM, GAIGE GROSSKREUTZ.
THAT INDIVIDUAL HAD INITIALLY
SAID THAT HE DID NOT HAVE A GUN
OUT THERE THAT NIGHT.
AND ON CROSS EXAMINATION, GAIGE
GROSSKREUTZ ADMITTED THAT HE HAD
A GUN, THAT HE HAD POINTED THAT
GUN AT RITTENHOUSE.
OUR VIEWERS SHOULD UNDERSTAND
THIS AND BE CLEAR ON THIS.
THAT RITTENHOUSE DID NOT HAVE TO
WAIT TO BE SHOT BY GROSSKREUTZ
BEFORE HE COULD TAKE SOME
ACTION.
SO I’M NOT REALLY SURPRISED BY
THIS VERDICT.
I THINK THAT THE PROSECUTION WAS
NOT ABLE TO DISPROVE THAT
RITTENHOUSE DID NOT ACT IN
SELF-DEFENSE.
>> Neil: WERE YOU SURPRISED,
TED, THAT IT WAS NOT GUILTY
ACROSS THE BOARD, THAT
RITTENHOUSE WAS ACQUITTED ON ALL
COUNTS?
THERE WERE A LOT OF
POSSIBILITIES HERE.
NONE OF THE ABOVE.
>> YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE COUNTS
ALL FIVE OF THEM CENTERED AROUND
SELF-DEFENSE.
AS I WAS ON WITH YOU YESTERDAY
AND WE WERE GOING IN TO DAY 4,
WHICH IS DAY 4, BUT DAY 3 JUST
ABOUT PASSED, I WAS DEEPLY CONCERNED AS TO WHETHER THEY
CONCERNED AS TO WHETHER THEY
WERE GOING TO TRY TO SPLIT THE
BABY IN HALF.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU, NEIL, THAT
WHAT HELPED RITTENHOUSE IS WHEN
HE ALSO TOOK THE STAND.
HE WAS ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THAT
JURY.
HE WAS ABLE TO CONVINCE THAT
JURY THAT HE WAS IN FEAR OF
GREAT BODILY HARM.
THAT HELPED TREMENDOUSLY.
>> Neil: WHAT DO YOU THINK IF HE
NEVER TESTIFIED ON HIS BEHALF?
>> I THINK THAT IT COULD HAVE
BEEN A DIFFERENT SCENARIO HERE.
I THINK THAT THAT JURY NEEDED TO
HEAR FROM HIM.
I THINK HIS LAWYERS ALSO HAVE
COME OUT IN THIS AFTERNOON
SAYING THAT THE JURY -- THAT
THEY ALSO BELIEVED THAT THE JURY
WANTED TO HEAR FROM RITTENHOUSE.
AND WHEN HE GOT ON THE STAND,
WHEN HE BROKE DOWN, EITHER -- IF
YOU’RE THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT OF
THE ISSUE, YOU COULD SAY HE WAS
BEING PHONY OR HE WAS NOT BEING
SERIOUS.
ON THE OTHER SIDE, YOU CAN SAY
THIS WAS A YOUNG MAN THAT WAS
UNDER TREMENDOUS BURDEN.
AT THAT STAGE, HE BROKE DOWN
BEFORE THE JURY.
THE JURY WAS ABLE TO SEE THAT.
AND THEY BELIEVED HIM.
>> Neil: SO TED, A LOT OF PEOPLE
WERE WONDERING THE LONGER THIS
WENT ON, THEY READ WHICH WAY THE
JURY WAS GOING.
WE WERE GOING OVER 24 HOURS OF
TOTAL DELIBERATION.
PEOPLE WERE THINKING, ARE THEY
AFRAID, WHATEVER DECISION THEY
MAKE AND THE IMPACT IT MIGHT
HAVE OUTSIDE, THAT, YOU KNOW,
SOMETHING THAT THEY DID MIGHT
LEAD TO RIOTS OR DEMONSTRATIONS.
EVEN THOUGH THERE’S NOT A HINT
OF THAT AS WE SPEAK.
I’M WONDERING WHAT YOU MADE OF
THE TIME IT TOOK TO GET TO THIS
DECISION.
>> YOU KNOW, IT TOOK A LONGER
LENGTH OF TIME.
IF YOU REMEMBER THE O.J. SIMPSON
TRIAL AND OTHER TRIALS.
THIS JURY WAS TRYING TO GET IT
RIGHT.
I THINK THE JURORS TOOK THEIR
RESPONSIBILITY VERY SERIOUSLY
AND THEY WANTED TO GET IT RIGHT.
I THINK INITIALLY, NEIL, WHEN I
LOOKED AT THIS, THE JURY
INSTRUCTIONS I BELIEVE WERE JUST
RATHER CONFUSING WHEN IT WAS
GIVEN TO THE JURY.
I THINK THAT THE JURY IS STILL
OUT ON THE JUDGE AND THE MANNER
IN WHICH HE TRIED THIS CASE.
ONE OF THE THINGS AND I WAS VERY
TROUBLED BY IT LAST NIGHT WHEN I
HEARD ONE OF THE JURORS WAS
PERMITTED TO TAKE INSTRUCTIONS
HOME
HOME.
WE BELIEVE IN OUR JURY SYSTEM
WHEN YOU DELIBERATE, YOU
DELIBERATE WITHIN THE CONFINES
OF THE COURTHOUSE WITH EVERYBODY
THERE.
IN ALL OF THE 30 SOME ODD YEARS
THAT I’VE BEEN PRACTICING LAW, I
HAVE NEVER KNOWN A JUDGE TO
ALLOW JURY INSTRUCTIONS TO GO
HOME WITH ONE JUROR.
THAT IS ASIDE.
THE FACT IS THAT KYLE
RITTENHOUSE HAS BEEN FOUND NOT
GUILTY OF ALL FIVE OF THESE
COUNTS AND THERE IS ABSOLUTELY
NO WAY, NO WAY WHATEVER IS OVER
TO RETRY HIM.
THE BIG QUESTION I HAVE RIGHT
NOW IS WHERE DOES THIS MAN GO
AND REBUILD HIS LIFE?
HE’S KNOWN AND SEEN ALL OVER THE
COUNTRY.
HE’S A YOUNG KID.
I DON’T THINK IT’S GOING TO BE
VERY EASY.
HE’S KILLED TWO PEOPLE.
THAT IS GOING TO BE A VERY
TROUBLING INDICTMENT FOR HIM THE
REST OF HIS LIFE, NEIL.
>> Neil: YEAH, EVEN HIS LAWYER
SAYING THAT THE FAMILY WILL
MOVE, THEY DON’T KNOW WHERE BUT
NOT IN THE AREA.
YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE JUROR
HAVING ACCESS OR TRYING TO GET
ACCESS AT HOME.
THAT GOT ME WONDERING ABOUT THE
UNIQUE SITUATION HERE WHERE THE
JURY WAS NOT SEQUESTERED.
UNUSUAL IN A CASE LIKE THIS.
WHAT KID YOU MAKE OF THAT?
>> THIS IS A HIGH PROFILE CASE.
I WAS ON HERE WITH YOU
YESTERDAY.
I WAS JUST RAMBLING ABOUT ONE
THING.
THAT THIS JURY SHOULD IN FACT
HAVE BEEN SEQUESTERED.
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FAIR FOR BOTH
SIDES FOR THE JURY TO BE
SEQUESTERED.
ANY TIME YOU HAVE A HIGH PROFILE
CASE.
WHAT YOU’RE SAYING IS HEY, JURY,
GO HOME, DON’T LOOK AT
TELEVISION, DON’T LISTEN TO THE
RADIO.
WE’RE LIVING IN AN AGE WHERE
THESE JURORS COULD BE GETTING ON
A SUBWAY OR A BUS AND HEAR ABOUT
WHO IS GOING ON IN THIS CASE.
I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE
CONSIDERED ONE OF THE UNFAIR
PROCESSES OF A HIGH PROFILE CASE
OF THIS NATURE, WHERE THE JURY
WAS NOT SEQUESTERED.
>> IF I CAN FLIP FROM THE LAWYER
SIDE TO THE FORMER D.C.
DETECTIVE AND TONIGHT AND
WORRIED ABOUT WHETHER THINGS
WILL GET DICEY TONIGHT.
WHAT LAW ENFORCEMENT IS DOING.
THEY HAVE A LEE KEY PRESENCE.
THEY’RE NOT INUNDATING THE AREA.
THE GUARDSMEN WERE CALLED JUST
IN CASE.
YOUR THOUGHTS.
>> YOU KNOW, I COVERED THE RIOTS
IN MILWAUKEE WITH GRIFF JENKINS
THERE.
I DON’T THINK THAT THEY WERE AS
PREPARED AS THEY ARE IN KENOSHA
WISCONSIN FOR ANYTHING THAT MAY
TAKE PLACE TONIGHT.
I’M HOPING FROM WHAT WE SAW AT
THE COURTHOUSE THAT EVERYTHING
WILL BE PEACEFUL THERE TONIGHT.
IF IT IS NOT, I BELIEVE THE
NATIONAL GUARD, WHICH YOU HAVE
SAID IS ON STANDBY AND THE
KENOSHA, WISCONSIN POLICE
DEPARTMENT, THAT THEY’RE READY
TO PUT DOWN ANYTHING THAT TAKES
PLACE HERE TONIGHT.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU, I LISTENED
JUST RECENTLY TO THE GOVERNOR OF
NEW YORK.
THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY.
THE FORMER GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK,
CUOMO AND THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK
CITY.
AND THEY PUTTING COAL ON THE
FLAME BY SAYING THERE WAS SOME
UNJUST HERE.
I IMPLORE YOU, YOU NEED TO
UNDERSTAND, THIS WAS A JURY.
THIS JURY HAS SPOKEN.
IRRESPECTIVE OF WHAT SIDE OF THE
AISLE YOU’RE ON IN REGARDS TO
THIS, WE NEED TO RESPECT THE
JURY VERDICT IN THIS CASE.
>> Neil: YEAH.
THAT WAS A THEME ALL TOO RARELY
ECHOED BUT TO BE FAIR TO THE
PRESIDENT DID INDICATE THAT.
WE’LL GET TO THAT IN A SECOND.
TED, I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK
YOU FOR YOUR HELP AND GUIDANCE
ALL WEEK ON THIS CASE.
YOU’RE A STRAIGHT SHOOTER.
YOU LOOK AT IT AS YOU SEE IT AS
A GOOD DETECTIVE AND LAWYER YOU
ARE.
THAT INSIGHT WAS AND REMAINS