KENOSHA, Wisc. — Cameras were back in Judge Bruce Schroeder's courtroom on Monday, but this time for Dominick Black's two felony charges of intent to sell a dangerous weapon to a person under 18 were reduced.
Black received a non-criminal citation of contributing to the deliquency of a minor. It comes with a $2,000 fine.
"The judge imposed slightly less than was negotiated between the parties because there's court costs associated with that, so it comes out to about $2,000," said Black’s attorney Anthony Cotton.
During Kyle Rittenhouse's trial for murder, Black admitted he purchased a rifle for Rittenhouse who was 17 at the time and legally too young to buy the weapon in Wisconsin. Rittenhouse later used that gun to shoot three people during protests in Kenosha, killing two of them.
Rittenhouse claimed he fired in self-defense and was acquitted of all charges in November.
"The good thing about this citation is that it guarantees Dominick has no criminal record. No felony. No misdemeanor, absolutely no criminal conviction because of this case,” Cotton said.
Legal expert Jonathan LaVoy said the way Rittenhouse's acquittal played out helped Black.
"I think there were so many things that went wrong with this prosecution, and I think this is a product of that,” LaVoy said. "Mr. Black was accused of giving him the weapon, but the charge of giving him the weapon was dismissed by the judge in the Rittenhouse case, so the state just tried to produce a solution that there'll be accountability for Mr. Black."
Judge Schroeder will see one more case related to the Kyle Rittenhouse trial. Josh Ziminski is accused of firing his gun into the air moments before Rittenhouse shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum. Ziminski faces charges of arson, disorderly conduct, and obstructing an officer.
