After ten days of questioning, both sides have settled on 14 jurors, including five men and nine women in the trial against Derek Chauvin.
Watching potential jurors being questioned for the Derek Chauvin murder trial and it’s a stark reminder of just how utterly defunct the juror selection process is in the US. #GeorgeFloyd
— ATP (@mrstripplea) March 19, 2021
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of Floyd last May. He faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted. Floyd died after former officer Chauvin knelt on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds until Floyd stopped breathing. Chauvin ignored Floyd’s pleas that he could not breathe.
Of the jurors selected, eight of the jurors are white, four are Black and two identify as multiracial.
reading the george floyd voir dire is a glimpse into hell
— Dr. Samantha Hancox-Li (@perdricof) March 17, 2021
juror 1: i watched the video, that was a murder
judge: thou art excused
juror 2: i thought blue lives matter meant that all lives matter? and black lives matter is a hate slogan?
judge: enter, friend, and be welcome
Judge Peter Cahill has expressed that he would like to seat 15 jurors. He is hoping to have at least 14—12 jurors and two alternates. Opening arguments are scheduled to begin on March 29.
“We only need the one,” Cahill said, adding: “Twelve or bust.”
Cahill denied defense motions to move the case to another venue or delay the proceedings. Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, cited the potential impact of the settlement news on the jury pool.
Earlier this month, the city of Minneapolis will pay a record $27 million to Floyd’s family to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit related to his death.
I would like to congratulate the worlds greatest civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump for George Floyd's Family Receives $27 Million Settlement From Minneapolis Over His Death.The city of Minneapolis on Friday agreed to pay $27 million to settle a lawsuit by the family pic.twitter.com/dct7wAARKo
— Rev Raymond Johnson (@RevRaymondJ) March 13, 2021
“This historic agreement — the largest pretrial settlement in a police civil rights wrongful death case in U.S. history — makes a statement that George Floyd deserved better than what we witnessed on May 25, 2020,” attorney Ben Crump said at a news conference with members of Floyd’s family. “That George Floyd’s life matters, and by extension, Black lives matter.”
Juror #52, a banker who enjoys basketball and coaching youth, will sit on the jury. #derekchauvintrial#GeorgeFloyd@CourtTV https://t.co/11Ob1wuXwx
— Julia Jenaé (@JuliaCourtTV) March 15, 2021
Cahill denied Nelson’s request.
“I do not think that that would give the defendant any kind of a fair trial beyond what we are doing here today,” said Cahill. “I don’t think there’s any place in the state of Minnesota that has not been subjected to extreme amounts of publicity on this case.”