No, you aren't jumping at shadows at all. Think about what was achieved with the Rittenhouse verdict. All those people who were realizing that federal institutions were lying to them can now say "hey, but at least justice still works in America". The verdict was absolutely a pressure release psyop designed to keep the middle of America firmly inside the system. That doesn't mean the judge and jury were secret agents, but they could have done more to rig the case if they really wanted to set a legal precedent. The feds could even retry Rittenhouse and bypass double jeopardy like they did in the 60s if they really wanted to cheat. They won't though, because this was a pressure release psyop. What they don't want is a couple of million people actively resisting the federal government or using an alternative currency outside of their control, etc. And their goal was achieved. You can now legally defend yourself if you are attacked by an angry mob is you expertly shoot only the people who threaten your life, don't hit any innocent bystanders, post 2mm USD bail to avoid a year in prison without conviction, and endure almost a full YEAR of not knowing if you'll receive a life sentence. Rittenhouse might as well have been guilty. The effect is the same. You have to make up your mind that you're willing to sacrifice everything to oppose the system, yet the system still looks "fair" to normies. Win Win for gov.