DA's office, Rittenhouse attorney continue back-and-forth on whether Rittenhouse violated bond

KENOSHA (CBS 58) -- Prosecutors in Kenosha County said “Kyle Rittenhouse apparently believes the rules do not apply to him,” in a court filing Thursday, Feb. 4.

The filing was in support of a motion to increase bond for Rittenhouse.

Prosecutors say Rittenhouse violated his bond conditions when he did not update his address.

According to court documents, he was using an address for the courts in Antioch, Illinois, where he no longer lives.

Prosecutors are now asking the court to issue a warrant for his arrest and increase his bond by $200,000.

In response, Rittenhouse’s attorney, Mark Richards, said Rittenhouse and his family received threats and had to reside in an undisclosed “safe house.” Richards said the defense has no objection to providing the court with Rittenhouse’s current address if it can be withheld from public record and distribution. He goes on to say that an increase in bond is unwarranted.

In the court document, Richards also stated that when a former member of the Rittenhouse defense team was completing paperwork related to Rittenhouse’s release from jail in November 2020, a high-ranking member of the Kenosha Police Department told him not to provide the address of the safe house.

In a media release Thursday, the Kenosha Police Department said, “A Kenosha Police Captain did have a brief conversation with Mr. Pierce, regarding security concerns raised by Mr. Pierce, surrounding the Kyle Rittenhouse release from custody. The conversation did not include instructions about how to fill out paperwork.”

The statement went on to say that it is the responsibility of the defendant and his/her representation to complete the bond paperwork completely and accurately.

Both the district attorney’s office and Rittenhouse’s attorney filed new responses Thursday.

“If the threats to the defendant’s safety are genuine, as the defendant contends, then the new, innocent occupant of that apartment is now in danger,” the reply in support of motion to increase bond from prosecutors said.

In his response to prosecutors, Rittenhouse’s attorney said, “Upon information and belief, the threats made have been specifically directed against Kyle and his family – not carte blanch against any unrelated individual currently residing at his former address. Updating his bond would have no effect on any crackpot going to Kyle’s old address.”