Thursday, December 2, 2021

Kyle Rittenhouse’s Reputation

Why suing his vile detractors for defamation would not be a good idea.

The American Spectator

Which office do I go to, to get my reputation back?

— Ray Donovan, former Reagan Administration labor secretary, following his acquittal on corruption charges.

Old litigator’s definition of “courthouse” — a place where people go to tell lies.

"Ever since Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted on all charges, there has been a rising chorus calling on him to sue his detractors for defamation. For example, before the prosecution’s meritless and unfounded case disintegrated at trial, Joe Biden condemned Rittenhouse as a white supremacist while media commentators falsely accused him of crossing state lines with an illegally possessed AR-15 rifle to wantonly gun down demonstrators who were engaged in what CNN so laughably called “a fiery but mostly peaceful” protest in the burned and pillaged Kenosha, Wisconsin.

"Even now, after the truth has been made abundantly clear at trial, various media commentators continue to spread the thoroughly debunked lie that Rittenhouse was a blood-thirsty vigilante who — weirdly enough — killed and wounded white people in pursuit of a white supremacist agenda.

"In short, Rittenhouse has been and continues to be the victim of a campaign of blatantly outrageous lies waged by those who seek to punish and destroy him in the name of social justice.

"So, how can he fight back? What can he do to expose the lies and defend his reputation?" . . .

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