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One might think this a remarkable coincidence, but it’s not:

A man was killed after being hit in the head with a skateboard in an act of self-defense during a fight in a Santa Ana Starbucks.

Around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, a fight broke out between two men in the 3300 block of South Bristol Street. Authorities received calls regarding an assault with a deadly weapon inside the Starbucks.

After authorities arrived, a man in his 50s was transported to Orange County Global Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries.

The other person involved, a man in his 20s, remained at the scene. He was taken to the Santa Ana Police Department for questioning.

People die from blows to the head and other parts of the body inflicted by hands, feet, and all manner of other articles not normally employed as weapons all the time.  That the Prosecutors in this case deny that reality does not make it any less real.  The issue is not the weapon, but the transference of force in such a way as to do fatal damage.  It makes no difference to the deceased how that force was transferred.  Done in the right—unlawful—way, the result is the same.

And the disruption of Kenosha continues apace:

School officials in Kenosha, Wisconsin, shifted five school sites to virtual learning for Thursday and Friday as deliberations in the high-profile murder trial of teen gunman Kyle Rittenhouse continued.

The affected elementary, middle, and high schools will hold classes online for the rest of the week, Kenosha Unified School District announced in an alert to parents Wednesday, Kenosha News reported.

Oh yeah, BLM, Antifa and their D/S/C patrons care only about the welfare of society.  Consider this from Ann Coulter:

In his closing argument, Binger decided to ignore his loser case and argue an entirely different case, for which it seems no evidence had been adduced. Binger posited that Rittenhouse was an ‘active shooter’ — like at Sandy Hook Elementary or Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Forget that Rittenhouse was not at a grade school, but in the middle of a riot that did $50 million in damage to the town of Kenosha. Forget that rioters were beating up random people they encountered, including a 71-year-old man protecting a mattress store from being looted, who had his jaw and nose broken by a water bottle filled with concrete — hurled by ‘unarmed’ protesters.

Name one ‘active shooter’ in history who strolled about with a gun for hours, not shooting anyone — until he was chased, cornered, and assaulted. Rittenhouse had a gun not because he was violent, but because the ‘protesters’ were, as the evidence abundantly demonstrated.

I often used to joke with defense attorneys about their incredibly lame attempts to explain away their client’s offenses.  They were often of the: “Your Honor, my client was just standing on the corner, doing nothing but admiring his knife, when the deceased suddenly, and without warning, ran around the corner right onto the blade of the knife—23 times.”  Binger’s characterization of Kyle as an “active shooter” is of that quality.  It does offense to the language, to justice, and as we’re witnessing once again, to Kenosha.

Just when you thought “bottom feeder” was as low an epithet as could possibly be applied to the media:

Judge Bruce Schroeder has announced Thursday that staff from MSNBC will no longer be allowed inside the Kenosha County Courthouse following the incident in which a person was observed following a bus that the jury uses to get to and from the building.

‘I have instructed that no one from MSNBC news will be permitted in this building for the duration of this trial. This is a very serious matter and I don’t know what the ultimate truth of it is, but absolutely it would go without much thinking that someone who is following the jury bus – that is an extremely serious matter and will be referred to the proper authorities for further action.

‘Last evening a person who identified himself as James J. Morrison and who claimed that he was a producer with NBC News… and under the supervision of someone… in New York for MSNBC. The police when they stopped him because he was following in the distance of about a block and went through a red light, pulled him over and inquired of him what was going on and he gave that information,’ Schroeder said. ‘He stated he had been instructed by [a supervisor] in New York to follow the jury bus.’

I’m sure they would never do anything to harm a juror with that knowledge.  After all, they’re MSNBC!  They have journalistic ethics, layers and layers of editors and fact checkers, Joy Reid…  And this is particularly cute:  

The bus, the judge explained, has covered windows so that jurors will not see protests for or against either side in the trial as they arrive at the courthouse, and will not be intimidated or influenced.

It’s amazing how naïve learned men can be when they’re properly motivated.  Let’s see: the jury is not sequestered, they’ve been exposed to the mob and media lies for more than a year, protestors outside the courthouse can be heard in the courtroom, they’ve been getting death threats…No.  I’m sure covering bus windows will absolutely assure they’re not intimidated or influenced.  My previous reporting on that—the SMM Rittenhouse archive is here–should be ignored.

Interestingly, NBC admitted to the substance of the incident and didn’t deny their producer, to who they referred as a “freelancer,” was told to follow the jury:

NBC News in a statement Thursday admitted that a “freelancer” was ticketed near a bus filled with jurors from the Kyle Rittenhouse trial in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The network denied that he tried to photograph jurors, but did not deny that he was told to follow the bus.

Georgetown law professor Jonathan Turley, who is far from a conservative, had this to say:

It is that…

There’s that “journalistic ethics” thing I was talking about…

Yes.  Yes they do.

If you’re not aware of the six-book Kelly Turnbull series by Kurt Schlichter, it’s not too late.  Take this link to a Schlichter article, where he, a retired infantry officer, attorney and author, argues for rational changes in the law that would largely prevent the abomination taking place in the Kenosha courtroom.

Now let’s turn to the invaluable Andrew Branca.  His summary the day’s events includes only two brief videos of Judge Schroeder banishing NBC from the Courthouse, and his discussion with the jury.  This is so because most of the drama today was with the jury, behind closed doors.

Branca is concerned with Judge Schroeder’s granting of a juror’s request to take a copy of the jury instructions home overnight.  Take the link to see what this is a problem.

Branca also has his suspicions that a single juror is holding up an acquittal. Again, take the link, where he makes a persuasive case.  No one can be certain of this, but it is one of the most likely scenarios for the unusual length of time it is taking to come to a decision.  Actually, I fear there can be no result other than a hung jury, which then throws matters to Judge Schroeder.

Does he provide a directed verdict?  Does he declare a mistrial with or without prejudice? If without prejudice, we see an extraordinarily clear case of the process being the punishment, not only for Kyle, but for Kenosha, and more broadly for America, when another trial commences.  I doubt the Judge wants that.  And if he doesn’t end it with prejudice, he can be certain this will be appealed and he is not going to look good when he’s overturned.  Of course, there is no guarantee of a successful appeal, but there are certainly more than enough issues, with more occurring daily.

More tomorrow, I’m sure.

UPDATE, 11-18-21, 2345 MT:  Meet Maurice Freeland, AKA: Jump Kick Man.  Once again, the British press does the work the American press won’t do:  

Maurice Freeland, AKA “Jump Kick Man”

A career criminal and convicted felon with an open domestic violence charge has claimed to be the unidentified male at whom Kyle Rittenhouse shot twice at close range but missed, on the night of August 25, 2020. [skip]

Now Maurice Freeland, 39, has admitted that he was the one who kicked Rittenhouse in the head and narrowly avoided being shot as a result, after the then 17-year-old stumbled to the ground as he attempted to flee. [skip]

Now it has emerged that the same is true of ‘jump-kick man’ who was on bond that night for an alleged assault on his girlfriend that included kicking her in the ribcage having thrown her to the floor. [skip]

Freeland has an open case of domestic violence for an attack in which he ‘tussled’ with his partner in a drunken rage, ultimately throwing her to the ground and kicking her in her ribcage before she managed to flee.

It is just one of several battery charges that feature in his record that stretches back more than 20 years and features 25 incidents in Kenosha County alone.

They include violent offenses, destruction of property, disorderly conduct, DUIs, possession of controlled substances, traffic violations, escaping from custody and parole violations.

He has confirmed his identity as jump-kick man but was not called to testify as he refused to do so unless Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger grant him immunity, which he declined to do.

Freeland was in Kenosha County Jail on multiple charges as recently as October when he was bailed out on a bond of $1500.

Take the link, where you’ll find additional information on Freeman, and additional criminal history information on the others that attacked Kyle.  Finally, at long last, there is a potential racial angle to this sordid tale!  Unfortunately, it’s about a black violent criminal trying to murder a white teenager, but that’s the kind of irrelevant detail the media doesn’t allow to get in the way of a “too good to check” narrative.

So now we know every single thug that tried to kill Kyle Rittenhouse was a violent, recidivist criminal.  Odd coincidence that that such people would be together at a riot, no?  As I’ve previously noted, if this account is accurate, and we have no reason to believe it is, ADA Binger knew Freeland’s identity, presumably for some time.  If he did not immediately provide that information to the Defense, as he is legally bound to do, this is serious indeed.  Kyle is charged with Reckless Endangerment for shooting at, and missing, Freeland, a felony with a maximum sentence of 12.5 years.  This would appear to be as a large a constitutional violation as any I’ve seen.  It’s reasonable to believe Binger lied.  Judge Schroeder certainly believes he has acted in bad faith, and has said so in court.  If the Defense knew Freeland’s identity, they surely would have subpoenaed him.  To do otherwise would be gross malpractice.

Here’s how—in part–Binger’s apparent concealment affects the case:

1) Prosecutors are bound by law to promptly produce all exculpatory evidence to the defense, evidence in every way identical to that they intend to use, or might use, at trial.

2) Failing to produce such evidence makes it impossible for the Defense to properly defend their client.  They can’t plan trial strategy and properly examine or cross-examine witnesses.

3) Knowing the identities of every potential witness—or victim—makes it possible to find additional witnesses.

4) Without knowing the identity of every so-called “victim,” they cannot property depose all of the witnesses in the trial.  What’s learned from one witness may affect how other witnesses are questioned.

5) Denied this information, the Defense can’t properly prepare a closing argument.

6) All of this denies a defendant due process.  It’s the definition of an unfair, prejudiced trial, made all the worse because it’s done in bad faith by the Prosecution, who always have the duty not to win, but to do justice.

I’m sure I’ll have more on this later, but if this is true, as it surely seems to be, Judge Schroeder should be granting a mistrial with prejudice and referring Binger and Kraus to the bar for discipline.  Kyle would also seem to have a strong case for malicious prosecution.

More soon.