MADISON, Wis. — The top Republican in the Wisconsin Assembly, who ordered an investigation into the 2020 presidential election, says that more subpoenas and time may be needed to complete the work.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos also said Tuesday it was possible he would try to force the state's top elections official to submit to an interview with attorney leading the investigation before a judge holds a hearing on the validity of the subpoena.
Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul sued last week in an attempt to block the subpoena. A judge on Monday set a Dec. 23 hearing on the matter.
RACINE COUNTY, Wis. - Two people were treated at the scene for minor injuries after a crash involving a semi that flipped over on I-41/94 near Seven Mile Road in the Village of Raymond in Racine County Tuesday, Oct. 26.
Sheriff's officials said it's believed there was a mechanical failure with a tire on the semi-tractor trailer and the driver lost control, striking a semi-tanker and two other vehicles before hitting the median wall and flipping onto its side.
Arriving deputies found the semi on its side and an SUV with severe damage up against the median wall.
The crash caused lane closures for four hours, along with a full closure of I-41 southbound for approximately two hours while towing companies uprighted the semi and removed it from the scene.
With Kyle Rittenhouse’s trial about to begin, a Wisconsin judge gave the teenager’s defense team a surprising bonus, ruling that the three men he shot can’t be called “victims,” but can be called rioters, looters, and arsonists.
Ahead of Rittenhouse’s trial next week, Judge Bruce Schroeder laid out some last-minute ground rules on Tuesday, with his judgements favoring the teenage murder defendant.
First, ABC News reported that prosecutors cannot refer to the three men shot dead by Rittenhouse as “victims,” stating that “the word ‘victim’ is a loaded, loaded word.”
KENOSHA, Wis. - A Wisconsin judge laid out the final ground rules Monday on what evidence will be allowed when Kyle Rittenhouse goes on trial next week for shooting three people during a protest against police brutality, ruling he'll permit testimony from the defense's use-of-force expert and on how police welcomed Rittenhouse and others carrying guns during the demonstration.
The hearing was likely the last before Rittenhouse goes on trial Nov. 1 for the shootings during chaotic demonstrations in Kenosha on Aug. 25, 2020, two days after a white police officer in that city shot a Black man, Jacob Blake, in the back while responding to a domestic disturbance.
Kyle Rittenhouse hearing in Kenosha County court
Rittenhouse, 18, of Antioch, Illinois, was among a number of people who responded to calls on social media to take up arms and come to Kenosha to respond to the protests. Rittenhouse, who is white, is charged with homicide and other crimes in the fatal shootings of Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and the wounding of Gaige Grosskreutz, all also white.
Rittenhouse's attorneys want use-of-force expert John Black to testify that Rittenhouse acted in self-defense. Prosecutors have asked Judge Bruce Schroeder to block Black's testimony, arguing that jurors don't need an expert to understand what happened that night.
Schroeder told the attorneys that Black wouldn't be allowed to testify about what Rittenhouse was thinking when he pulled the trigger or whether he definitively acted in self-defense.
Kyle Rittenhouse hearing in Kenosha County court
Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger said if Schroeder allowed Black to testify only about the timeline of events that night he wouldn't call his own expert to the stand. Defense attorney Mark Richards agreed to the deal.
Binger asked Schroeder to bar a video that shows police telling Rittenhouse and other armed militia members on the streets that they appreciated their presence and tossing Rittenhouse a bottle of water. The prosecutor said the video would transform the trial into a referendum on police procedure that night when it isn't relevant.
"This is a case about what the defendant did that night," Binger said. "I'm concerned this will be turned into a trial about what law enforcement did or didn't do that night."
Defense attorney Corey Chirafisi argued the video shows that police felt Rittenhouse wasn't acting recklessly. Binger countered that the shootings happened after Rittenhouse interacted with the police, but Schroeder decided to allow the video.
Kyle Rittenhouse hearing in Kenosha County court
"If the jury is being told, if the defendant is walking down the sidewalk and doing what he claims he was hired to do and police say good thing you’re here, is that something influencing the defendant and emboldening him in his behavior? That would be an argument for relevance," the judge said.
Schroeder also denied Binger's request to bar the defense from referring to Rosenbaum, Huber and Grosskreutz as rioters, looters or arsonists. The judge said those terms would be allowed if the defense can produce evidence showing that's what they were.
Many conservatives have flocked to support Rittenhouse, calling him a patriot and making him a symbol for gun rights and raising $2 million for his bail. Others, including some liberals and activists, portray him as a domestic terrorist and say he made a volatile situation worse.
The weather could put a little damper on the Halloween spirit in parts of southeastern Wisconsin on Sunday night and Monday.
People in counties along Lake Michigan, from Ozaukee County to Kenosha County, should "consider bringing down some Halloween decorations" due to windy conditions through Monday evening, according to a tweet from the National Weather Service in Milwaukee.
"It'll be breezier in other areas as well, but the stronger winds are definitely going to be in those counties along Lake Michigan, where you're looking at wind gusts of 40, 45 miles per hour with sustained winds," said Rebecca Hansen, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
The winds will be coming from the east/northeast. The strongest are expected to start Sunday night and wind down by Monday afternoon, according to Hansen.
"If you have any loose objects, it's best to take them down or make sure they're secure so they don't blow away," Hansen said.
There could also be some lakeshore flooding because of high, 10- to 12-foot waves on Lake Michigan, the tweet said.
Rain is moving in early Sunday evening and will stick around through Monday morning. The rain is expected to "taper off" a little Monday afternoon with possible showers lingering into the evening, Hansen said.
Temperatures will remain in the upper 40s to low 50s through Monday.
KENOSHA, Wis. - Kenosha County Sheriff's K-9 Riggs went home Sunday, Oct. 24 after receiving treatment at an Illinois hospital. K-9 Riggs was shot in the head Thursday, Oct. 21.
It was supposed to be a small gathering with just a handful of deputies on hand to welcome K-9 Riggs home.
"Had no idea that there would be this many," said Jane Herbert.
"It’s totally organic, but again, it just shows how much our community really comes together and rallies," said Kenosha Alderman David Bogdala. "Just shows how much our community is united behind welcoming Riggs back. He saved a lot of people, potentially."
According to officials, deputies were called to a gas station at the corner of State Highway 50 and US 45 in an attempt to find a stolen vehicle that was reportedly involved in a Chicago homicide.
According to Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth, three deputies conducted a high-risk traffic stop, calling out orders to the suspect to put his hands up. The suspect did not follow those orders and took off running. Deputies were heard on body camera video shouting to the suspect to drop his weapon.
At some point, K-9 Riggs was released and captured the suspect just before running onto State Highway 50 -- while the suspect still had a gun in his hand. Riggs took the suspect to the ground. Unfortunately, Riggs suffered a gunshot wound to the forehead.
"It will make me really happy to know that he’s still alive, and that he got so lucky and that he’s still here with us," said Ava Ennis.
The support from the community as Riggs went home left his handler emotional.
"I’m so humbled by it," said Terry Tifft, Riggs' handler. "I’m so emotional right now. I haven’t slept well knowing the dog was 45 minutes away. I could only go and visit him for short periods because they needed him to rest up so he could be released. Every time I left, it was hard. He wanted to come with me."
The two of them are finally together again, back home.
"It’s a miracle," said Tifft. "It is a miracle. The bullet actually traveled around the skull and out the back here."
Let there be no mistake, K-9 Riggs is a hero and a good boy.
"He’s family," said Tifft. "He has always been. He’s family."
Riggs will continue to recover at home and a return to work will be based on his progress over the next few weeks.
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