Kyle Rittenhouse, the Illinois teen who fatally shot two protesters in Kenosha, Wis., in August, will be extradited to Wisconsin to face homicide charges there after a judge ordered his transfer.
Lake County Circuit Judge Paul Novak in a ruling Friday denied Rittenhouse’s request for release and ordered him extradited to the Badger State, where he faces homicide charges in Kenosha County. Novak said his Illinois courtroom was not the proper place to determine the validity of several of the 17-year-old’s claims, including that he was acting in self-defense and that he would be treated unfairly in Wisconsin because state law mandates he be tried as an adult.
“These are matters that can be raised in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, through pre-trial proceedings or during trial,” Novak ruled.
It is unclear how soon Rittenhouse could be transferred, and his attorneys are expected to appeal the decision.
“An adverse ruling will be immediately appealed,” L. Lin Wood, one of Rittenhouse’s attorneys, tweeted before the ruling was issued.
Rittenhouse is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the killing of two protesters and attempted intentional homicide in the wounding of a third. He’s also facing a misdemeanor charge of underage firearm possession for wielding a semi-automatic rifle. He faces life in prison.
Rittenhouse traveled from Illinois to Kenosha and allegedly shot the three people on Aug. 25 during protests in the city over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man.
Rittenhouse has claimed he felt threatened by the protesters and has emerged as an icon on the right, who point to the teen’s efforts to stop what they see as a wave of lawlessness. Critics, meanwhile, point to Rittenhouse’s support for President Trump as a sign that the White House is exacerbating racial tensions across the country.