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Addressing the incident the night before, Judge Schroeder explained that it would’ve been nearly impossible to photograph the jury inside the bus he described as a “sealed box”.

The jurors have been transported to the court in the bus from a second location each day as an added layer of identity protections, the judge said.

He said the windows are covered to prevent jurors from being exposed to disruptions along the route, including protesters or signs posted in Kenosha.

“I’m going to call it a sealed box and that’s being done every day that they’re brought to the building,” Judge Schroeder said.

NBC News released the following statement addressing the judge’s ban:

“Last night, a freelancer received a traffic citation. While the traffic violation took place near the jury van, the freelancer never contacted or intended to contact the jurors during deliberations and never photographed or intended to photograph them.

“We regret the incident and will fully cooperate with the authorities on any investigation.”

The Independent’s Alex Woodward reports:

Judge Schroeder banned MSNBC from the courthouse after a man claiming to be affiliated with the courthouse allegedly tried to photograph the jury on Wednesday night.

“I have instructed that no one from MSNBC News will be permitted in this building for the duration of this trial,” the judge said Thursday.

“This is a very serious matter and I don’t know what the ultimate truth of it is, but absolutely it would go without much thinking that someone who is following the jury bus – that is an extremely serious matter and will be referred to the proper authorities for further action.”

Judge Schroeder said the man seen following the jury bus identified himself as James J Morrison and claimed he’d been instructed by an MSNBC booking agent to track the vehicle.

A man claiming to be a producer for MSNBC allegedly attempted to photograph the Rittenhouse jury on Wednesday night.

The Kenosha Police Department issued a statement about the incident on Thursday morning.

“Last night a person who is alleging to be affiliated with a national media outlet was briefly taken into custody and issued several traffic related citations,” the statement read.

“Police suspect this person was trying to photograph jurors.

“There was no breach of security regarding the jury, nor were there any photographs obtained. This investigation remains active and open, no further information.”

The foreperson of the jury – who communicates with the judge on the panel’s behalf and will ultimately deliver the verdict – is a white woman in her 50s, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The woman, who reportedly took copious notes throughout the trial, is also responsible for passing questions to the court during deliberation.

The Tribune reports: “During the selection process, the soft-spoken woman said she had driven through downtown Kenosha after the unrest to look at the damage. She said it would not influence her decision in the case.”

Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger was seen entering Judge Schroeder’s chambers on Thursday morning, according to Associated Press reporter Michael Tarm.

It is unclear what the pair were discussing.

Soon after, Judge Schroeder briefly appeared on the court livestream but did not speak and there was no audio available.

The judge has a full docket of other cases today, Mr Tarm said.

Two protesters who were arrested during clashes outside the Kenosha County court on Wednesday evening have been identified.

Anthony Chacon, 20, was booked on charges of felony bail jumping, misdemeanour bail jumping, battery, resisting and disorderly conduct, a Kenosha Police spokesperson confirmed to Fox News.

Mr Chacon was reportedly seen “body-slamming” a reporter and attacking a supporter of Mr Rittenhouse while wearing a T-shirt which read: “F**k Kyle.” The bail-jumping charges indicate Mr Chacon has a previous criminal record, the details of which are unknown.

The second protester arrested was 34-year-old Shaquita Cornelious. She was booked on charges of resisting, disorderly conduct and possession of marijuana, the police spokesperson said.

In a media release about the arrests, the Kenosha Sheriff’s Department said several officers were deployed to keep the crowds – including journalists – from interfering.

Mr Rittenhouse’s defence attorneys have filed two motions to declare a mistrial, both of which are still pending.

The first – requested in court on 10 November and formally filed late Monday – accuses the prosecution of engaging in misconduct with video evidence and its cross-examination of the defendant. The motion asks for a mistrial with prejudice, meaning Mr Rittenhouse could not be tried again for the same crimes.

The second motion, requested in court on Monday, pertains to the same video evidence as the first but seeks a mistrial without prejudice, meaning prosecutors could seek a new trial.

Judge Schroeder has not indicated when he intends to rule on either motion, at one point saying he was waiting for the state to file an official response to the first.

If the jury returns a verdict of not guilty, both motions are moot. If a guilty verdict is reached, Judge Schroeder will be forced to rule.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward explains:

As Mr Rittenhouse stands trial for shooting three men at a protest last fall, viewers have come to expect the unexpected after a series of dramatic scenes inside the courtroom in Kenosha.

Some of the most memorable moments have centred around Judge Schroeder, who unleashed a vicious rebuke of the prosecution, questioned the reliability of Apple’s technology and made a joke about “Asian food”. In lighter moments, the judge broke out into song in front of the jury and flipped through a cookie catalogue during a break.

The state’s closing argument also brought a few noteworthy instances, including when a prosecutor pointed Mr Rittenhouse’s AR-15 at the jury and used a movie clip to underline a point.

But the most striking stretch of the trial came on 10 November, when Mr Rittenhouse took the stand in his own defence and broke down in tears as he recounted the moments before he fatally shot his first victim, Joseph Rosenbaum.

As the jury continues deliberations on five felony charges, The Independent’s Megan Sheets explains some of the most provocative moments so far: