(Photo by Kevin Mathewson)
In a court hearing today, Judge Bruce Schroeder denied a motion from defense Attorney Michael Barth to lower accused arsonist Joshua Ziminski’s bond from $14,000 to $1,000. Ziminski is charged for his role in the Kenosha riots of 2020. According to police and prosecutors, Ziminski (36) of Racine fired a pistol just seconds before Kyle Rittenhouse lawfully shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum. He also lit a dumpster and a trailer on fire. On January 31, 2022, when Ziminski was supposed to go to trial, a witness named Nathan DeBruin says he was intimidated by Ziminski outside of the court house. This author witnessed and heard the brief altercation and words shouted by Ziminski. Ziminski yelled loudly at DeBruin to “stop!” and “let me see the photo, that’s not me!” The incident was also captured on security cameras outside of the court house and on DeBruin’s girlfriend’s phone. Because of this allegation and due to the abundance of evidence presented at the Rittenhouse case, the judge ordered Ziminski to be taken into custody and raised his bond to $14,000. Ziminski has been behind bars ever since.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson)
Media
Attorney Barth argued that the media had exaggerated these allegations and “DeBruin was only intimidated because my client looks scary.” Judge Schroeder interrupted briefly to vilify the media saying that CNN and MSNBC among others tried to discredit the judiciary by expecting it to bend to the will of the media’s bias. Schroeder didn’t hold any punches and seemed very irked by some media coverage about the Rittenhouse case that was biased and in many cases, fake.
“I think you will give (Ziminski) a fair trial and that’s why I didn’t ask for a change of venue,” Barth said to the longest-serving Judge in Wisconsin. “My client had a valid concealed carry permit to carry concealed or openly and he shot his gun as a non-lethal deterrent. He didn’t shoot anyone. He didn’t start any fires.” Schroeder quickly scoffed at the assertion that shooting a gun is lawful. “My client will testify that Rittenhouse pointed a gun at him and his wife,” said Barth. During the Rittenhouse trial, prosecutors T. Clair Binger (D) and Jim Kraus (D) asserted unsuccessfully that Rittenhouse pointed his rifle at the Ziminski’s asking for a provocation jury instruction. The jury didn’t buy it and neither did most folks who watched the grainy drone video. Ziminski must have watched the trial, as he was alerted to this allegation. This puts Binger in a conundrum as he agreed about the pointing of the rifle, at least said he believed so during the Rittenhouse trial. Barth also said his client didn’t know who DeBruin was, a claim that Binger said didn’t make sense. He believes that Ziminski watched Rittenhouse’s trial on TV.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson)
Update on Witness Intimidation Case
ADA T. Clair Binger gave the judge an update on the investigation into DeBruin’s allegations. He said that Kenosha Sheriff’s detectives are finishing up their report and he will have it soon. He also refuted Barth’s statement that Ziminski didn’t start any fires. “(Ziminski’s) wife Kelly has a video on her phone of Mr. Ziminski starting a dumpster on fire. We’ll see that at trial,” said Binger. Binger also went into Ziminski’s troubling criminal history.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson)
In the end, the $1,000 bond set by Commissioner Loren Keating on January 26 for firing a gun during a riot and arson, among other crimes, was unusually low. “Someone else set (his bail)” said Schroeder. Judges, who have more authority on the issue of bond are always able to raise or lower it at their discretion.
Ziminski is scheduled to go to trial on March 28, 2022.
19 Responses
That’s a fair and accurate assessment of what happened in Court today.
If your the real attorney, how does it feel trying to get habitual domestic abusers and criminals off to commit more crime? Job security ?
Defense attorneys have an important job. Are you advocating allowing the government to just lock people up without due process? If so, please consider moving to some place like North Korea.
Nice try trying to deflect. So your ok with habitual domestic abusers and Rapist to walk free wiyh no punishment. lol ok “racine” prolly like the murderers to walk free too huh?
After he is found guilty in a fair and sound process, lock him up. The defense attorney’s job is to make sure his client’s constitutional rights are protected. If we applied your standard, Kyle Rittenhouse would now be sitting in a prison cell up-north. Why is that so hard to understand?
You are a legit dipshit. Everyone has the right to an attorney.
Besides…..last time I checked, a guilty man’s money is just as good as an innocent man’s money for services rendered.
Why is it so hard to understand that ziminski had numerous charges dropped. Which allowed him to re offend and shoot his gun off that night. Why is that so hard to comprehend. And I wasn’t aware rittenhouse was a habitual domestic abuser and had many charges dropped. Way to compare the two. Lol
Blame the prosecutor and DA for not doing their job and letting him off not the defense attorney for doing his job.
Mr. or Ms. Kenosha:
Imagine our country without due process. The government would simply lock people up for what ever they want. They do that in many countries in our world. China, Russia, North Korea, and so many more terrible places.
And yes, if it was not for defense attorneys who made sure the government played by the rules and honored due process rights Kyle Rittenhouse’s would now be in prison. The fact that Kyle had a clean record is irrelevant.
CD is absolutely correct. The blame for this guy not being convicted previously is squarely on the shoulders of the police and prosecutors, not the defenses attorneys.
Ms racine. You seem to have a affection wiyh rittenhouse. How about other trials like Martice fuller who’s “defense “ attorney tried painting the mother as a liar? And asked the judge to allow Martice to be released because if his daughter was killed he wouldn’t want someone in prison forever. Or about dalquavis ward who’s lawyer tried getting him off after killing a cop? You can try and cry all you want but defense attorneys try to get criminals a plea deal and kept outta prison. Regardless of their views.
Those two defendants were convicted and if memory serves me correctly, they have been sentenced to life in prison after trials in which their due process rights were protected. Excellent work by the police and prosecutors put those two scumbags away. The system worked as intended by framers of the constitution.
What if we did not have this adversarial system in which defense attorneys play an important role? The government could simply pick someone up for a horrendous crime, say they did it, and put them away. It doesn’t matter if they really did it or not. Someone is being held accountable. Some people may claim this would never happen. But it has and it does and it would happen in our country all the time if we ignored our constitution.
Please know that you will have the last word. I am done engaging with someone like you who would trade all of our liberties for the mere promise of security. Living in the world you propose would be devoid of freedom and joy.
Your literally a clown with the same sentence over and over. I stated how do you sleep at night defending habitual criminals and you continue to cry about liberties and kyle rittenhouse. You tried putting words in my mouth to fit your agenda. Maybe try to keep up next time. My opinion on defense attorneys for known and habitual criminals will not change no matter how mivh you try to play the go to North Korea card. Which makes no sense. Something tells me you work for a defense attorney but I’m sure if your loved one was affected by the “hard job” of defending a criminal, lying in court to try to get a low life off a known guilty charge, your so liberty tune would change. Also defense attorneys can recluse them selves. But hey that would involve integration. But it’s all about the taxpayer dollars!
Thanks Kevin for a good story as this afternoon in court offered great relief for Nathan I’m sure.
He only had a $1k bond originally? Ugh. I love Larry Keating…..but that really surprises me given he was a cop and that situation happened during the rioting.
It’s hard to believe this clown has a CCW. Looking at CCAP he has 3 pages of charges and a good amount of “dismissed charges”. Again the pieces of shit walk with dropped charges and commit more crimes. Lock these losers up!
I agree with completely. Seems the DOJ is in it for the permit fee and will give a CCL to anyone these days. This guy? Constitutional carry after background check at the gun store. We don’t need more government bs taking money from our pockets. Just look at what slips through the cracks when the DOJ is involved.
How can Ziminsky have a CCP with his criminal record?
Apparently just ask and you shall receive.
Thank goodness for Judge Bruce Schroeder- so glad he can see through the idiotic decision of the person that set original bail. there is just too much stupid in one place between that bunch in the court room except judge schroeder, kevin, and nathan. also barth, blinger, and zimensky are liars on top of being below average – bath is so busy drinking zimenkskys koolaid- we heard blinger tell too many lies to count in hero kyle’s trial. actually- blinger should be unable to practice law any more anywhere after all of his lies and misconduct in kyle’s trial- backdoor blinger and his sidekick lunch box should have their license to practice law revoked immediately. they are horrible people who do not deserve to be officers of the court. and that barth – well- just put your seatbelt on- i think he will join the infamous likes of his fellow lawyers before it is all said and done.