Kenosha County Court Judge Bruce Schroeder has heard high-profile cases before, including the case of Mark Jensen, who was previously convicted of poisoning his wife in 1998. A new trial has since been ordered in this case.
Schroeder has sat on the bench in Kenosha County since 1983.
"I suspect with my age and my longevity, I maybe have tried more murder cases than anyone in the state," Judge Schroeder said during a hearing on Sept. 17.
The judge made national headlines during the week of Oct. 25 for the word he won't let attorneys use when referring to the men Rittenhouse is accused of shooting.
“He most definitely said you can’t use the term victim, and that is consistent with my observation of him in just about every case I’ve ever tried," said Patrick Cafferty, a local criminal defense attorney who will serve as TMJ4's legal analyst during the trial.
Schroeder was first appointed to the bench by Democratic Gov. Anthony Earl in 1983. Schroeder was elected to the seat in 1984.
Schroeder's current term ends in 2026.