In a possible attempt to follow the jurors in the murder trial of Kyle Rittenhouse home, harass them, or dox them Wednesday night, an NBC/MSNBC producer named James G. Morrison was stopped by Kenosha police after he blew through a stoplight while chasing down the jury bus as they left the courthouse. This incident led Judge Bruce Schroeder to ban both NBC and MSNBC from the courthouse building for the remainder of the trial.
“Last evening, a person who identified himself as James J. Morrison, and who claimed that he was a producing with NBC News and played for MSNBC, and under the supervision of a person…named Irene Byon in New York for MSNBC,” Judge Schroeder recounted from the bench Thursday afternoon.
According to police, Morrison volunteered this information after he was caught. “The police, when they stopped him because he was following at about a distance of a block, went through a red light, pulled him over and inquired of him what was going on, and he gave that information and stated that he had been instructed by Ms. Byon in New York to follow the jury bus,” Schroeder explained.
He then said it was an “extremely serious matter” and that he would be banning MSNBC from the premises and would be “referred to the proper authorities for further action”:
The matter is under further investigation at this point. And the media has asked questions about it. That's the latest I have. And he was ticketed for violating a traffic control signal. He's not here today from what I'm told, and I have instructed that no one from MSNBC news will be permitted in this building for the duration of this trial. This is a very serious matter and I don’t know what the ultimate truth is, but absolutely it would go without much thinking that someone who’s following the jury bus, that is a very – that’s extremely serious matter and it will be referred to the proper authorities for further action.
NBC responded to the incident by essentially admitting that it did indeed happen, but tried to change up the facts to downplay their actions:
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 authorities on any investigation.
Notice that after their initial admission that Morrison (who they didn’t name) was ticketed, they suggested he was merely “near the jury van” and that he “never contacted or intended to contact the jurors during deliberations.”
“[Judge Schroeder] responded to a report that we got from the Kenosha Police Department last night saying that a member of the media was suspected of following the jury van after court yesterday,” reported correspondent Shaquille Brewster on MSNBC’s MTP Daily at the end of the 1 p.m. hour.
Adding: “The judge named a member from MSNBC, he said he's taking this extremely seriously. He went on to say that he is investigating this further. And we also know that he's banning members from MSNBC, any MSNBC personnel from the courthouse at this time.”
This incident happened the same evening that NBC Nightly News edited out Schroeder’s scathing rebuke of the media’s “grossly irresponsible handling of what comes out of this trial.” It was also reminiscent of when MSNBC ambushed then-Special Counsel Robert Mueller outside his church on Easter Sunday.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
Fox News Channel’s Outnumbered
November 18, 2021
12:26:19 p.m. Eastern(…)
JUDGE Bruce SCHROEDER: Last evening – and let me just set the background here. The jury in this case is being transported from a different location in a bus with windows covered so that they don't have to look at – aren’t exposed to any signs by one side or the other, or interest in the case. So, I'm going to call it a sealed bus. And that's been done every day, and then they are brought here to this building.
Last evening, a person who identified himself as James J. Morrison, and who claimed that he was a producing with NBC News and played for MSNBC, and under the supervision of a person – what's going on?
[Inaudible]
Oh, okay. Under the supervision of someone named Irene Byon in New York for MSNBC. The police, when they stopped him because he was following at about a distance of a block, went through a red light, pulled him over and inquired of him what was going on, and he gave that information and stated that he had been instructed by Ms. Byon in New York to follow the jury bus.
The matter is under further investigation at this point. And the media has asked questions about it. That's the latest I have. And he was ticketed for violating a traffic control signal. He's not here today from what I'm told, and I have instructed that no one from MSNBC news will be permitted in this building for the duration of this trial. This is a very serious matter and I don’t know what the ultimate truth is, but absolutely it would go without much thinking that someone who’s following the jury bus, that is a very – that’s extremely serious matter and it will be referred to the proper authorities for further action.
Thank you.
(…)
MSNBC’s MTP Daily
November 18, 2021
1:58:38 p.m. Eastern(…)
SHAQUILLE BREWSTER: Now, what we did see the judge take the stand or come to the bench earlier today for an unrelated matter. This happened outside of the presence of the jury. He responded to a report that we got from the Kenosha Police Department last night saying that a member of the media was suspected of following the jury van after court yesterday.
The judge named a member from MSNBC, he said he's taking this extremely seriously. He went on to say that he is investigating this further. And we also know that he's banning members from MSNBC, any MSNBC personnel from the courthouse at this time.
Now, an NBC spokesperson released a statement, let's put that up on the screen right now. It says, “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 authorities on any investigation.”
(…)
