Those who have watched the Kyle Rittenhouse trial live online may have noticed that, during breaks in court proceedings, the camera settles on a couple different spots: the carved Seal of Wisconsin or a man's portrait hanging in the courtroom.
Who is the man so many have been focused on while waiting for the Rittenhouse trial to resume?
According to Kenosha County Courts Clerk Rebecca Matoska-Mentink, he is the Honorable Edward J. Ruetz, born on Feb. 22, 1899.
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"Judge Reutz was a graduate of Marquette University Law School and served on the bench from 1938-1954," according to Matoska-Mentink. "He was an avid sportsman and was instrumental in the formation of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League."
Judge Reutz, who passed away on Nov. 3, 1973, also served as president of the Kenosha Comets from 1943 to 1951, league president in 1951 and commissioner in 1952.
The jury in Rittenhouse's trial moved into a third day of deliberations Thursday, even as its request to re-watch video in the case sparked a fresh bid from his attorneys for a mistrial.
Judge Bruce Schroeder dismissed the jury for the day just before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, with the panel not coming to a decision on the five counts Rittenhouse is facing in connection with the case.
Rittenhouse still faces five counts in the case, after an illegal weapons charge was dismissed by Judge Bruce Schroeder.
Rittenhouse, now 18, was in Kenosha with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle and a medical kit in what he said was an effort to protect property from the damaging demonstrations that broke out over the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by a white Kenosha police officer last summer.
