MSNBC reporters were banned from the courthouse where Kyle Rittenhouse’s murder trial is taking place.
According to The Kenosha News, police took an individual into custody after the person allegedly followed a bus filled with jurors to take pictures of them. The judge presiding over the trial, Bruce Schroeder, said the individual identified himself as “James J. Morrison, who claimed he was a producer with NBC News, employed by MSNBC.”
In the courtroom on Thursday, Schroeder explained, “The matter is under further investigation at this point and the media has asked questions about it.”
He said the individual was ticketed for “violating a traffic control signal,” adding, “He’s not here today from what I’m told.”
Schroeder said he “instructed that nobody from MSNBC News 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 is a very … that is an extremely serious matter and will be referred to the proper authorities for further action.”
Watch his comments below:
Judge Bruce Schroeder has "instructed that no one from MSNBC News will be permitted in this building for the duration" of the Rittenhouse trial after a man claiming to be a producer with the network was pulled over for following the jury bus. pic.twitter.com/Lqnc12PWFP
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) November 18, 2021
The network commented on the incident in a statement, saying, “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.”
NBC News statement: "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" (1/2)
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) November 18, 2021
The statement continued, “We regret the incident and will fully cooperate with the authorities on any investigation.”
"We regret the incident and will fully cooperate with the authorities on any investigation," NBC adds (2/2) https://t.co/7LNnDbQErb
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) November 18, 2021
The Kenosha News reported that the police department said no pictures of jurors were taken.
The jury will weigh five felony counts against Rittenhouse, as CNN reported. During the unrest that broke out following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, Rittenhouse killed two individuals and wounded a third.