Juror elimination process explained in Rittenhouse case

KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Six jurors were eliminated from the 18 listening to the case before deliberation.

Rittenhouse randomly selected six names of jurors from a tumbler to choose the jurors who are out -- something that the judge here says has been happening for a long time.

"That's been the practice in this court for, I would say 20 years at least, that I've been doing that," said Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Schroeder

The jurors whose numbers were drawn by Rittenhouse include 11, 58, 14, 45, 9 and 52.

In the past, the clerk would select the numbers from the tumbler.

Something that could be controversial, as a defendant could claim some kind of conspiracy against them.

Other legal experts say it's an uncommon, but potentially benign practice.

However, a different prosecutor who had argued a case against this judge in 2008 said the clerk did select the jurors for elimination at that time.

"The defendant in a criminal case is the one who makes the selections from the tumbler as to the jurors to be dismissed," said Schroeder.

The six dismissed alternates will also report to court when the jury does and will follow the same rules in case they are needed to replace someone from the jury.