MSNC has been banned from the courthouse housing Kyle Rittenhouse’s trial after Judge Bruce Schroeder learned of authorities catching a man claiming to be a MSNBC employee following the jury’s bus.
Explaining the circumstances to the courtroom, Schroeder said the man had been ticketed by police after running a red light. The man allegedly claimed he was a MSNBC producer and was following the jury’s bus.
The judge said, “The jury in this case is being transported from a different location in a bus with the windows covered so that they aren’t exposed to any signs by one side or another or interests in the case, so I’m going to call it a sealed bus, and that’s been done every day and they’re brought here to this building.”
Last night a person who is alleging to be affiliated with a national media outlet was briefly taken into custody and issued several traffic related citations. Police suspect this person was trying to photograph jurors. This incident is being investigated much further.
— Kenosha Police Dept. (@KenoshaPolice) November 18, 2021
Schroeder gave additional details regarding the man’s employer, saying “Police, when they stopped him because he was following at a distance of about a block and went through a red light, pulled him over and inquired of him what was going on. He gave that information and stated that he had been instructed … to follow the jury bus.”
He also said, “The matter is under further investigation at this point, and the media has asked questions about it. That’s the latest I have. He was ticketed for violating a traffic control signal. He is not here today, from what I’m told, and I have instructed that no one from MSNBC News will be permitted in this building for the duration of this trial.”
He continued, “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 a jury bus, that’s an extremely serious matter and will be referred to the proper authorities for further action.”
In a statement to CNN, MSNBC said, “Last night, a freelancer received a traffic citation. While the traffic violation took place near the jury van, the freelancer never contacted or intended to contact the jurors during deliberations, and never photographed or intended to photograph them. We regret the incident and will fully cooperate with the authorities on any investigation.”
