'How not to be a good judge': Kyle Rittenhouse judge draws new backlash with 'Asian food' joke
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
'How not to be a good judge': Kyle Rittenhouse judge draws new backlash with 'Asian food' joke
A day after he made headlines for erupting in anger at the prosecution in Kyle Rittenhouse's murder trial, Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder continued to draw attention, criticism and accusations of bias.
On Thursday, the judge sparked backlash by making a quip about "Asian food." And his attempt to honor veterans led the courtroom to applaud a man who appeared to be the only veteran in the room: A witness for the defense.
The longest serving current judge in Wisconsin, Schroeder previously garnered national attention and accusations of favor to the defense in late October when he said the people shot by Rittenhouse couldn't be called "victims" during the trial.
Barring the use of "victims" is a regular part of his courtroom practices. But his decision to allow the same people to be called "rioters, looters and arsonists" began a pattern of Rittenhouse's critics blasting the judge as biased and Rittenhouse's supporters gleefully celebrating the judge's decisions .
While accusations of bias have mounted during the trial, Kyle Rittenhouse's mom said Thursday she thought the judge was "very fair."
Wendy Rittenhouse told Fox News' Sean Hannity she had been told by locals that "he doesn't allow no nonsense in his courtroom."
Those comments came as Schroeder's latest controversy gained national attention . On Thursday he attempted a joke in response to an inquiry about a lunch break: “I hope the Asian food isn’t coming ... isn’t on one of those boats along Long Beach Harbor," he said.
The comment seemingly referenced the situation unfolding on the West Coast, where a record-breaking number of cargo ships have waited off the coast of California due to a backup at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Critics found the joke offensive.
"The biased judge in the Rittenhouse trial just made a thinly-veiled anti-Asian comment," tweeted Stanford law professor Michele Dauber . "Because all Asian food comes from China like the boats haha what a bigot."
Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean , a Democrat, used the clip to criticize the judge and the judicial system that led him to preside over the trial: "Schroeder has provided an example of how not to be a good judge. The selection system in Wisconsin is also badly flawed," he tweeted.
"They are elected after initial appointment and there is no retirement age. This is why we have intemperate and unfit judges like this all over the country."
In a separate incident at the start of proceedings on Veterans Day, Schroeder asked the courtroom if anyone was a veteran. The only person who replied "yes" was expert witness John Black.
Schroeder asked Black, "What branch?"
Black responded "Army, sir."
"OK, and I think we can give a round of applause to the people who have served our country," said Schroeder.
The judge clapped. People in the gallery also began to applaud, including a defense attorney and Rittenhouse.
Recognizing veterans is not out of character for Schroeder, who wore a tie Thursday emblazoned with American flags and whose phone ringtone, as heard in court, is “God Bless the U.S.A.”
But Schroeder risked making Black appear more credible to the jury by asking for applause, according to Steven Wright, a professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Law. Wright thought the moment was a mistake on the judge's part.
However, the issue is unlikely to be scrutinized, whatever the trial's outcome.
If jurors find Rittenhouse not guilty, there's likely no appeal. If they find him guilty, Schroeder's mistake could only be seen as an aid to Rittenhouse rather than a point of argument on appeal, Wright said.
While critics on social media have frequently targeted the judge, other pundits have argued the prosecution has bungled aspects of the Rittenhouse case.
"Some have criticized Judge Bruce Schroeder after he enforced long-standing constitutional principles," wrote Jonathan Turley, Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, in a USA TODAY opinion column .
"Even without the unforced errors by the prosecution, this was always a difficult case. Wisconsin has a strong self-defense standard. After a defendant claims to have acted to repel a threat, the burden is on the prosecution to rebut that claim beyond a reasonable doubt."
Contributing: The Associated Press. Follow Drake Bentley on Twitter @DrakeBentleyMJS .
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: 'How not to be a good judge': Kyle Rittenhouse judge draws new backlash with 'Asian food' joke
Microsoft may earn an Affiliate Commission if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Tags
Who is online
463 visitors
This judge is a freaking crackpot.
I think he is helping orchestrate the grounds for a mistrial if in fact the jury isn't hung.
No, that would be the prosecution. This should already have been declared a mistrial with prejudice.
Is the left's real problem with this judge that he won't tolerate a worthless prosecution lawyer that didn't bother to vet their own witness or alleged victims before taking the case to court? Or is it that the trial isn't going their way; so their preset verdict of guilty for Rittenhouse isn't going to come true.
Seriously. He made a joke about about Asian food being delayed due to the backup at the ports. 1) Only butt hurt leftists read into the comment that "all Asian food comes from China". Think Chinese vessels are the only ones that are delayed? Vessels from Japan, Thailand, and every other Asian country are as well. No, it was not a funny joke; but then most jokes aren't when delivered badly. 2) He had the audacity to applaud someone that served in the US military on Veterans Day? That he wore a tie with US flags on it; and the ring tone on his phone is "God Bless the USA"? The left have not only jumped the shark; they are out looking for a Megalodon because it wasn't big enough.
Sorry, no guilty verdict for you, the leftist media, Joe Biden, and the rest of the Democrat shills that jumped on the bandwagon and brought this case to trial based on political feelings.
Good God you are in great company apparently.
The prosecutor, the defense and the judge are all guilty of being unartful in their craft.
But a child, not old enough to enlist, vote or drink alone in a bar took an AR to a riot
across state lines with his mother's racist approval.
Letting that BS stand is not representative of "the rule of law".
Premeditated? No.
Opportunity welcomed? You betcha.yer ass. That kid was looking for it, found it and killed.
Thanks for once again making it personal.
Tsk. Tsk.
"He's a nut!" (Barney Fife)
He better stick to his day job cuz he sure as hell isn't much of a comedian.
I usually prefer having an old, cranky judge on a case. The older and crankier the better. This judge, however, not so much. Every now and then one is past their expiration date.
[deleted,]
this a joke about the supply chain crisis. It’s so obvious that it’s depressing to believe it even needs to be stated.
[deleted]
Why is this idiot judge joking about Asian food in the courtroom?
He's a clown.
Before the trial even started people who know Wisconsin predicted all this would happen.
Some people have a sense of humor.
Nothing wrong with this judge--except some progressive liberals seem to have their panties in a bunch over him.
The nicest thing you can say about this guy is that he is very eccentric.
That is not what you want in a major murder trial.
It is what it is. Bad jokes won't matter as long as his legal rulings are sound.
The liberal mantra .... attack that which doesn't goosestep precisely with your preferred narrative .,.... then gaslight the shit out of those who call you on it.
It's some weak sauce man, very weak sauce.
You forgot 'hive mind' or 'drone'.
Yawn. Your usual projection, deflection, and denial.
Apparently this judge thinks he is a real whiz, when in fact his unnecessary and inappropriate blah blah blah is out of place in a murder trial court.
He is better suited for a carnival.
Wow, talk about unimportant things to get worked up over.
I don’t believe that. I have a hard time believing this joke (and people clearly know it was a joke) about lunch actually offended anyone.
Ok, first of all, even if he were biased against Asians, what would that have to do with the trial? The defendant is not Asian and neither are his lawyers. The people he shot were not Asian. The prosecutor is not Asian. I have seen no evidence that anyone on the jury is Asian. So who gives a shit if the judge is anti-Asian?
But if you got from this quip that he is anti-Asian, I think you have reached a pretty dumb conclusion.
I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that this law professor does not believe that the judge really thinks all Asian food comes from Asia. That’s why other people recognized it as a joke (see above) and everyone else should recognize this tweet as hyperbolic bullshit.
Wait, you’re mad that the judge sought to honor veterans . . . on Veteran’s Day????
Was the judge supposed to know he was the only veteran in the room? And what was the judge supposed to do at that point? Say “Oh, never mind, then?”
Boy, some people are really hurting for something to be outraged about.
They need something because the Trial certainly isn't going their way.
Is the use of a double negative an example of the excellence of American education? "...he does n't allow no nonsense...."
And isn't that an example of a contradictory statement? If it ISN'T on one of those boats, then maybe it IS coming..
Maybe English isn't their mother tongue.
Yeah, I made a comment about this little killer's mommy's comments on another article. She's a real gem.
If this whack a do does not allow nonsense in his courtroom, then why is he showing up each day?
Lol .... just when you thought the triggering couldn't get any worse.
Hilarious!
I think that judge is heading for a very rude awakening about his behavior. He is violating the very laws he is supposed to uphold and has openly proved his own bias in the case.
How so and please be specific.
I hope you don't expect an answer.
Nope, i just put em out there regularly in case posters want to grow a pair and defend the comments they make.
Even the cheerleader can't logically defend the post!
Haters gotta hate. Look no further than NTers for proof of that
The judge is violating laws? Now you’re joking, right?
If enough people flood the Bar Association with phone calls, emails, and text messages to investigate him, then maybe some action might be taken.
Looks like many folks here need to grow a pair.