(File Photo of Judge by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on October 8, 2026, to replace an earlier yearbook photograph of Jaheem Wright with a more recent booking photograph taken when he was 18 years old. The booking photograph was obtained after the original publication of this story.
KENOSHA, Wis. — In a decision that’s raising eyebrows across the community, Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Chad Kerkman (D) on Friday rejected a request from prosecutors to waive 16-year-old Jaheem Wright into adult court, allowing the teen who brought a loaded gun to school and made threats to be sentenced in juvenile court instead.
Wright, who terrified students and staff at Indian Trail High School in December, took a plea deal and pleaded guilty to two felonies: Terroristic Threats and Possession of a Firearm on School Grounds. Two misdemeanor charges — Possession of a Dangerous Weapon by a Minor and Carrying a Concealed Weapon — were dismissed as part of the agreement.
Judge Kerkman sentenced Wright to just one year in a juvenile detention facility. Under Wisconsin law, records in juvenile cases are sealed, meaning no official public record of Wright’s identity will exist. The public will know about the incident itself, but only Kenosha County Eye has identified the individual responsible.
Back in January, Kenosha County Eye reported that Kerkman appeared hesitant to move the case to adult court, despite the severity of the conduct. Prosecutors had argued that the seriousness of the charges and their impact on the school community warranted adult-level accountability. At the time, Kerkman ordered a competency exam and opted to keep the matter in juvenile jurisdiction.
The incident shook the Kenosha school community. Wright was found with a loaded handgun on school grounds and had posted a threatening video to Snapchat that frightened students at both Indian Trail and Bradford High School. The situation prompted a lockdown and urgent police response. Law enforcement did not initially locate the firearm during their search at the school, but later discovered it concealed in Wright’s waistband after he had been taken into custody.
An internal review by the Kenosha Police Department revealed that Officer LaDonte Pittman, the school resource officer at Indian Trail, conducted multiple pat-downs of Wright but failed to locate the handgun. Pittman received a one-day unpaid suspension and will undergo additional training on search procedures. Officer Tanya Kennedy, who transported Wright to the police department without conducting a required search, received a two-day unpaid suspension. Both officers accepted the disciplinary measures and will participate in refresher training coordinated by the department’s training division.
Despite those facts, Kerkman declined to expose Wright to adult consequences. The sentence — one year in juvenile detention and a completely sealed record — is being viewed by many as an act of extreme leniency.
Kerkman also sought to keep the proceedings secret. Without prior reporting by this outlet, the public would have had no access to the details of Wright’s crime or the court’s handling of it.
Critics of the ruling say it sends the wrong message about how seriously the justice system takes school safety and armed threats. Wright is expected to serve his sentence in a juvenile facility and walk away without a criminal record.
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126 Responses
Whoever the gun was registered to should be in court also
That’s funny .
Where and how the handgun was obtained would be very interesting.
Do any of you people know how many guns are stolen every year? Good luck.
Where does one register a gun at? 10 private sales later who you going to charge..
It’s a law that you have to keep
A record of who you privately sold a gun to for 10
Years….
Atf knows when this foreign gun entered, follow the trail… when there’s a break
In the trail, enforce the law
There is no such law in WI. Do you keep a record of the kitchen table you sold 10 years ago. Guns are nothing but property, constitutionally protected property at that.
This is not acceptable. One year in juvie? Nope.
Next KUSD will come out and say its ok to bring a gun to school if a black kid does it.
Shut yo bitch ass up
Fuck off, related to the little criminal?
Ok Tanika cooks
You shut up N.
Bitch
Most school shooters are white
You sure? Oh and who just stabbed and killed someone? Idiots like you that make it about race just look for a reason to fit your agenda. Most call you a idiot
*an idiot.
Phew! Good thing you’re here. Where would we be without an idiot like you?
Just pointing out the irony of you calling someone “a idiot.” But I’m guessing you wouldn’t be able to comprehend irony. Read a book and stop posting.
Funny you like your own comment. I find the irony in you afraid to post your real name. Internet tough guy
Oh, so “Anonymous” is your real name? LMAO!
‘Cause most blacks don’t go to school.
Oh yes they do…and are affirmative actioned to be grease-skidded past all other racial groups.
“The Bell Curve” 1994, by Murray & Herrnstein, a 75 year objective study on race & IQ proved over thousands of testing results and real life outcomes over time, that the Black IQ as is on average one standard deviation BELOW the White IQ explains why very well. It drove many Blacks elites bat-crap nuts, among them was one red-hair dye job Nikole Hannah-Jones – the 1619 Project nutjob (“America started upon the arrival of the first slave ship from Africa!”) and another was the Biden/Harris Assistant USAG for “Civil Rights”, one Kristen Clarke, openly stating that “Blacks are physically, mentally, and spiritually SUPERIOR to Whites”. Both of these extremely arrogant, self-entitled Black females, propped up by White academic and Democrat elites, themselves prop installed by elite-academia High Tech viral billionaire and Soros money, were both affirmative-actioned Harvard students at the time “The Bell Curve” was published. In addition, there is the case of the affirmative-actioned Michelle Obama and her ridiculous Princeton senior thesis on “blackness and its place in society” – irrelevant and thinner than warm piss over a hot rock. Finally, Affirmative Action = “Can’t cut the mustard, but get free ride on society’s nickel-especially Whitey’s.”
Great information. Yet it was wasted. Most of these pukes can’t actually read.
Ass hole
Good point .
Yes, let’s get statistics involved….
Blacks are 9-10 percent of the US population, and account for 61 percent of violent crime….
I’d love to see what percentage of the bevioral referrals in KUSD, and the truancy also by the ever so important racial statistics ( per liberals).
I happen to know that “oddly”, Hispanics, then blacks, then whites are the ones that are sent to court for truancy (in that order, not by percentage, by volume). Gee Kevin, please publish those stats in KUSD. KUSD already has the records, and FERPA doesn’t cover attendance.
Why does any of this matter? Did we lose the point of the story?🤦🏼♀️
true
You definitely pissed off some Popeyes fat bitch fan that thinks her fatherless spawns can bring guns to school and not pay for it
19 % of black kids even know who their fathers are.
You have the numbers backwards…
I prefer KFC, Popeyes has a little pepper in the batter.
Is that code ?
Parents need to parent! Lowlifes
A loaded gun to a school after all the school shootings and a wack sentence like this! Fucken joke of a system! Charge the parents as well!!
😝
Prolly the parent commenting.
No just his criminal friends and family
So criminals as well. Keeping it classy…🤣
When is this liberal judge up for reelection. We the People need to vote him out.
Ditto for conservative Dougvillo, who’s also making a name for himself with light sentences.
Dougvillo is a dick
To vote him out we need to have someone run against him. If we don’t, he is gonna be in again by default
Our new DA could run against Kerkman and easily win. He may be well fed up with all the Libs on the bench in Gaytown. Oops, I meant Ktown.
We need Thomas Anderson sr to
Run, or George Easton, if either can take a break from soliciting prostitutes.
Kenosha Attorney/Author Michael Cicchini would be a great replacement opposing Kerkman.
Kerkman is not worthy of his robe.
Is this Samantha ?
The ones sharing this on Facebook…………
I seen that also, ya he’s innocent With that family.
That’s the second Kerkman to be a huge disappointment to this county. OUT!
Chad too busy butt slamming his boyfriend.
Maybe Samantha wasn’t man enough for him
He was making love, butt slamming is rude
he crosseyed 😂😂😂😂
He in jail.
*He’s 🤦🏼♀️
I don’t want to hear another liberal preach about gun control if they support this judge’s ruling!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Exactly, they love to scream and point fingers and demand that we spend hundreds of millions of dollars to keep guns out of our schools, and then this piece of s*** judge gives a slap on the wrist to someone who brags about and is caught bringing a gun into school. The message this gives is absolutely that youth + black = untouchable when it comes to guns in schools.
Kerkman wants to keep “an eye” on him.
Not to worry . I believe the court system hasn’t seen the last of Jaheem the Dream . Gnome sayen?
But who will he have damaged or destroyed prior to finally being put away for a real sentence because of this useless excuse for a judge?
This is such a reckless and irresponsible decision.
Kerkman has an obligation to the citizens of Kenosha County that feral trash like Wright are separated from society for the maximum term permitted by law. Instead, he consistently errs on the side of his personal liberal ideology to unleash these animals on us all to prove his sense of “compassion” to his LGBTQ circle of friends.
Without real accountability, Wright will almost assuredly commit a violent crime in the not distant future….and by that time….Kerkman will likely be lounging on a beach with his boyfriend and laughing it up….all on the Kenosha taxpayer’s dime.
I am not a fan of this judge but there is a particular rock and hard place situation here because of confidentiality laws. There could have been a good reason to keep this case in Juvenile court but the way the laws written we’ll never know why. With a severe threat that guns in our schools in today you would think there would be more Sensitivity to the seriousness of this.
Definitely an adult at fault here.
Mr New DA. Go after the gun owner !!!
Maybe the secrecy is because of mom.
100% since they did it in MI and were successful convicting BOTH parents, that should be the standard when someone is under 18 for any shooting or gun related charge! MI did everyone a favor and set precedent!
Yes, a landmark case in Oakland County, MI. As a former 10-year Oakland County, MI resident, I was not surprised that effective justice was meted out there. However, notable that the parents were White. If they were Black and in Wayne County, nothing would have come of it. Outcomes are determined by county and the quality of its judges being paramount to public safety. And its not a Democrat/Republican partisan issue. There are Democrat “hanging judges” who are very effective. Judge Schroeder was a prime example, aside from his famous Mark Jensen and Kyle Rittenhouse cases. He was an anomaly as he originally started as a defense attorney, completely opposite of what he became.
“Definitely an adult at fault here.”
There must be a record of a trace being done on the firearm and if the firearm was destroyed by law enforcement or returned to the owner.
The laws are written quite clearly, no mystery IMHO. This pathetic clown of a Judge needs to go. I’m sure he can find a job chasing ambulances, no need to have him lapping up tax money while further endangering the people he’s supposed to protect via existing laws.
I have to call BS on your statement, simply because this little bastard was proud of his concealed gun and bragged about bringing it to school and being untouchable. We have intent and we have the actual deed he needs to do some adult time with a record that doesn’t become invisible if he behaves for one year in an area that will have a very LAX way of determining whether or not he is “behaving”. Juvenile detention has a way of passing people just to move them along, like this judge, and public schools.
Post of a gun that says imma run this bitch. Wow great job Kenosha. Another idiot criminal walks
Yup he will serve his time and come out an even a better criminal than before.
Totally . Gird your loins .
Look at me I can’t see the article and people posting. But if you spell no wrong, I’m here because I’m lonely and very petty, also afraid of anyone so I hide. I’m also called a bitch a lot because that’s what I am
lol. I was going to say, kid brings a gun to school and a clown is more worried about a to an. Loser
See you at Popeyes !!
No one cares, troll.
Judge Chad kerkman is is a bonafide imbecile!!! He shouldn’t even be practicing as a judge! He should be removed immediately! I had a case with him and he didn’t even give it the time of day. Nope, he just completely shrugged it off and was a complete effin asshole! Fucking cross eyed bastard retard judge! I hope he’s reading too if you can with his cross eyes! 😵💫
I can’t imagine why he wouldn’t have given it the time of day, with that attitude and all.
Thanks Chad
Chad
So not proud of you.
You are not gaining points and a SCHROEDER YOU ARE NOT!
Poor Chad, he has the white guilt.
When do we start going after the gangs and the bullies. This would surely help kids having to feel that that need to protect themselves since NO ONE is there to protect them. Our system is failing these kids.
Defund welfare to keep fathers in the home to start…
Black privilege. Never fails.
Austin Metcalf is his name. They are savages. Never relax around the blax.
Now this is a real dumb comment because not all black people are bad people. Most are actually good loving people. There’s bad people in all ethnicities ALL of them. I’ve been around a lot of different people in my life and I’ve seen good and bad in all. Ignorance is a real ugly trait so stop that
Statistics will tell you the opposite. Stay ignorant my friend. Check out all the cheering from them when a white kid gets murdered by a feral black. Austin Metcalfs murderer got 500k, a new house, and a car. Black donate to murderers of whites. Yeah. Not all are bad, but the majority are a drag on society. Check the welfare system, jails/prisons.
How many white teens are carjacking in Milwaukee? I’ll wait….
In 100
Years when there are no “white” people left, who will the darkest blame? Will
There be a mandatory dna test? How long will the fake cloud of racism last? American asians were out into internment camps, lost everything, and somehow are the most financially successful race in the US per capita, 80 years after slavery…. Hmmm. It’s almost as if a group values hard work and success they achieve it. Jews were rounded up and exterminated 80 years post slavery and per capita are more successful than most other groups here in the US…
Follow rules, don’t be violent, pay attention in school…. Take care of your children…. Simple solution to success, hard to follow at times I guess…
Drop the fake victim pleas, take accountability for your actions
25percent of abortions are of black babies. I doubt your 100 percent will be reached unless whites move
Or people hear- and listen- to the Good News.
Thank you
Far stretch saying ‘most’ but will agree that SOME are not bad.
He will be in jail someday but after he commits murder. Kerkman will have blood on his hands like so many other libtard justices who continue to put innocent people’s lives at risk.
I guarantee it .
He will be in jail someday but not until after he commits murder. Kerkman will have blood on his hands like so many other libtard justices that refuse to protect innocent everyday Americans.
Kerkman and his effete management of the law needs to be removed
Some of the posts bring out the Mensa population 🤦♀️. I’m glad I didn’t have to make this decision. Putting this child in adult prison would guarantee his fate. He was showing off. If he wanted to shoot and kill he had more than enough time to do so.
You must be from the Dindo Tribe, or a Dindo sympathizer….
Nope , a white liberal . Most home dogs don’t know about MENSA.
To repeat my ongoing theme. No rehabilitation. Execution is the way to stop this problem. Yeah it’s black what’s new. Get rid of him before he has a chance to breed the next generation of useless animals.
Thanks Marge .
Actually Kerkman might be playing 3D chess. He gave him the light sentence because he knows this hood fuck will run his mouth to the wrong homie and probably get his beak shot off.
That would be useful to society, but I don’t believe for a moment that is what this dangling Chad voted for.
He will be in prison by the age of 21, these worthless thugs with no daddy at home disgust me.
Judge Kerkman seems to continue to carry on the Gravely / Carli legacy. Such a disgrace to the citizens of Kenosha. I think his time could be better spent with a box of crayons drawing pictures of rainbows with Pep.
To the person who committed as: Heres your sign says:
April 19, 2025 at 8:54 AM
I can’t imagine why he wouldn’t have given it the time of day, with that attitude and all.
My attitude was completely justified as would any othervlogical and caring person. It involved the death of an individual and a person that poisoned him with the deadly fentanyl! Judge Kerkman couldn’t give a flipping crap! He didn’t want to hear it and he didnt even READ the evidence in his face put before him! The hearing lasted less than 10 minutes, if even. He was more interested in his lunchtime!
‘Officer LaDonte Pittman, the school resource officer at Indian Trail conducted multiple pat-downs of the minor but failed to locate the handgun.’
This indicates that the officer either lacks proficiency in conducting effective pat-downs or was hesitant to perform a thorough or intrusive search. In either case, it is hoped that he is no longer serving as a school resource officer. If law enforcement cannot perform effective pat-downs, the installation of metal detectors operated by qualified individuals should be installed. The judge acts as the director of the process and has the final decision. Had the resource officer performed his duties as expected, none of this would have taken place.
Officer Pittman = DEI ??
Don’t forget- Slavery was abolished 6 years BEFORE the light bulb was invented….. this whole “its due to culture acne racism”
Argument should be dead.
OR every American should be asking “how do we eradicate this violent and useless culture”??
If it’s a shitty culture, we should try to get rid of it like tuberculosis, or any other thing that threatens our safe existence.
ACTUALLY- Maybe some more free government programs would help this fine culture to thrive……. Like herpes
You’d think the mass of doctorate degrees at KUSD or DPi, or the apartment of education would figger out why such a culture hates rules, attendance, Math, and reading is allowed to thrive in our public schools and is accepted.
Wake up people, demand that we as property owners who pay the taxes and fund public employees want this disease vaccinated or quarantined out of our children’s schools.
Wait, is he…
…
Yup.
He didndonuffin!
He needed to defend himself againt big strong white boys like Austin Metcalf.
Y’all rascist!
I have a question: what would the judge have decided if this was a white kid from whity tidy pleasant praire and not a colored kid?
White tidy kids from Pleasant Prairie don’t do that, what’s your point?
What a disgrace.
If that’s the proper application of the law then so be it. Judges shouldn’t be swayed because people are mad.
The kid brought a loaded handgun to school. The kid posted threats on social media saying he was going to shoot up the school. The kid concealed the handgun in a manner that two police officers failed to find it. The kid plead guilty to making Terroristic Threats and bringing a loaded handgun on school grounds…..both felonies. The “proper application of law” was to send him into adult court to face the maximum available consequence. Instead, a far left, liberal judge gave him one year in a Kid’s Jail….minus 130 days for time served….in order to prove his “compassion” to all of his LGBTQ cocktail party friends. In addition, the kid’s record gets cleared 9 months from now.
Only a Low IQ moron would come on here and defend this, “Gary P.” When Wright inevitably commits a murder 2,3, or 4 years from now, I doubt you will be singing the same tune if the victims are members of your family or circle of friends.
the colored kid was nice enough not to shoot the chick cop in the head during transit after she missed finding the gun.
Well said…AMEN
Gary P that is the dumbest comment ever. People are mad of course, because a kid brought a gun to school and he’s getting away without hardly any accountability, so he’s going to probably commit a very serious crime when he gets out. What happens if one of your family members are a victim. There has to be consequences. And the consequences with this juvenile does not fit the crime.
They released a 15 year old who did shoot someone on purpose during a robbery a few years back. He was in jail from October to the following April. Then returned to his normal KUSD high school. Not an alternative placement….
“M. R.”
He was apparently rehabilitated to state standards in 6 months
Name the kid. It’s not illegal.
WOW! Chad hasn’t taken a beating like this since his bath-house visit in SF….. Wrong glory hole, your honor!
From another post:
“Whoever the gun was registered to should be in court also”
How was the firearm was acquired, where the student got it from, and then what did law enforcement and the court do with the firearm?
Generally all of the above would/should involve some level of Federal, State, and Local law enforcement involvement.
Would make an interesting investigative report.
I don’t recall what happened with the Bradford student a year or two ago who brought a loaded gun? What judge, what punishment?