This is a mostly trivial update, to the one I wrote last week to Steve Hayward, about his deplorable “self-defense” nonsense related to the first degree felony murder charged assassin, Kyle Rittenhouse.

I see that overnight, Forbes has it that this guy named Pierce — in fact, the same lawyer who lost for Rudy G. (and more recently — lost, in highly embarrassing fashion while representing Carter Page, in federal court in Chicago, before the able Judge Lienenweber, on a would-be libel suit against the DNC, earlier this month — Pierce’s team never made it out of the starting gate, before losing)… claims his client will be found… completely innocent. Hilarious.

The first part of this from Pierce, is a claim that the weapon never crossed state lines, since Rittenhouse he says, allegedly drove it from Illinois to Wisconsin completely un-assembled, then put it together… once in Kenosha, presumably.

Even if true, that aids his defense case only marginally, as it still leaves him admitting that, as a minor in Wisconsin, his client was open-carrying a “dangerous weapon” — the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle — and that’s… itself a predicate felony. [There is a sh!t-ton of video proof of the truth of that fact. Even if the claim will be that someone in Wisconsin gave him the AR-15 to use that night, he still wasn’t allowed to possess a dangerous weapon no matter where it came from, in an open carry posture, as a minor — at a chaotic protest, at night… under Wisconsin law.] All that, before he ever raised the weapon.

All of this is written as of Sunday August 30, 2020, so things may evolve, but at this moment, Pierce is saying they may “fight extradition” to Wisconsin, since his client will be incarcerated as an adult under Wisconsin law. He is in a juvenile facility, now — under Illinois law. But at 17, in Wisconsin, since he is charged with at least one first degree murder, he is to be tried as an adult.

Next, comically, Pierce is quoted as saying they will assert that Rittenhouse was part of a “well-regulated militia“, as a defense. This suggests a second amendment defense. Except, of course that such a defense — even if (wildly improbably) it is successful — (it simply means he might have been allowed to possess, but not fire, that weapon)… it will not exonerate him of the actual murders, in the streets, after — as is undisputed, at this point, Rittenhouse was ordered by Kenosha police to leave, as he was in fact trespassing on private property, and a minor out with a dangerous weapon, after the lawful curfew had been imposed. He was neither press or law enforcement. [And it is beyond sadly comical for Pierce to suggest that his actions (per the numerous videos) looked… “well regulated“, and/or governed by the orders of any militia’s authority. Nope. This boy committed multiple felonies before he raised his semi-automatic rifle, loaded with a 30 bullet clip.]

So, again, it is now undisputed he was committing multiple felonies before he ever even raised that AR-15, and fired it. And the order of the killings… matters, and immensely so. See below.

I should note that Pierce goes on to say various other irrelevant things, but leaves all the above standing. Intact.

Now, the center of Rittenhouse’s problem: Under Wisconsin law, Pierce cannot argue — let alone win — on a self-defense theory, if Rittenhouse was the aggressor, using unreasonable force, compared to the threats that animated the shootings.

As the DA’s complaint quotes the coroner, it is undisputed at this point, that his first murder victim died almost immediately — from a shot through his back, one that ruptured his liver and lung. IN THE BACK. The first victim was running away from Rittenhouse, and his AR-15, when Rittenhouse first fired, obviously.

The videos show that this first victim threw a plastic bag in the direction of Mr. Rittenhouse, but was completely unarmed. Under Wisconsin law, then — it will be near impossible to claim self defense; he was the aggressor when he fatally shot that first man in the back.

Even if he beats the next two charges, claiming self-defense — this first one carries a mandatory life without parole sentence, in Wisconsin.

So — I get why Pierce might fight extradition.

But the same result (more or less) will come to pass, in Illinois — and it is absolutely clear that after Illinois tries and convicts and sentences him, Wisconsin will be able to do the same, when he is in custody, as a convicted felon.

So at the very most, this is a delaying tactic.

Deplorable — as the victims’ families deserve certain and swift justice here.

Updated: Condor predicts… Pierce won’t be up to this near-impossible defense, now — internet video has surfaced, of Pierce’s client — after a prior (likely unrelated to Kenosha shootings) verbal altercation involving some teenage girls — girls! — and young Rittenhouse is seen repeatedly throwing full force, closed fists, hooks and jabs into the head and face… of a teenage girl. Some other girl ultimately stops him. Here it is, until someone takes it down:

Out.