There may be evidence they can’t get into the trial via other means. I can’t think of why he would take the stand; but maybe given what has transpired he thinks he will come across as sympathetic. IANAL but usually this is risky. One slip up and he can doom himself.
Took a peak at live feed and it seems you may be right. Rittenhouse was giving details about what he was doing there and about people he was helping with first aid, an of being pepper sprayed without retaliating. Stuff I kind of doubt the prosecution wants the jury to know about.
If he’s telling the truth as he sees it, he’ll be ok. He is describing as best he can what went on and we saw it on the video.
It is a gamble for the prosecution as well on cross examination. Judging from the kids performance on the night of the killings he handles pressure well and keeps his head. If the prosecution goes at him hard and he has been properly prepped it could go very well for him and badly for the prosecution.
Rittenhouse has a jury that came in disliking him almost as much as the Chauvin jury, which in my mind totally disregarded the medical evidence. I don’t think Rittenhouse will get an acquital so they need to make sure he at least gets a hung jury. He needs to convince at least one or two jurors he is not a monster. That is not a high bar.
No he needs to say how awful he feels about killing two people, but how scared to death he was as they chased him through the streets beating him with skate boards and shooting at him. The pictures of him running his ass off to get away from his attackers will stick in the juries mind and if he is the least bit contrite and sincere win a couple of them over.