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14th juror seated for the trial of Derek Chauvin
A 14th juror has been seated for the trial of a former Minneapolis cop charged with the death of George Floyd. At least one more juror is needed before opening statements next week. (March 22)
AP
MINNEAPOLIS – A jury has been chosen to determine the fate of a former Minneapolis cop who knelt around George Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, nine of which were women and six men deciding on a case that forced racial inequality to be re-addressed in the United States
After 11 days of questioning by defense and prosecution lawyers, jury selection ended on Tuesday when the 15th juror was selected. Twelve of the jurors will deliberate, two will serve as alternates and one will be removed if all the others show up for opening statements on Monday.
The panel consists of six jurors of color, including three black men, one black woman and two Métis women. Nine jurors are white.
Floyd, a black man, died in police custody on May 25, 2020, after Derek Chauvin, who is white, pinned his knee to Floyd’s neck after a confrontation. Lying on a Minneapolis street under Chauvin, Floyd yelled “I can’t breathe” more than 20 times.
His death has sparked protests around the world and calls for a change in the country’s criminal justice system. Hundreds of protesters were arrested in the Twin Cities.
Some of the protests turned into riots; in Minneapolis, businesses and buildings were looted and set on fire, including a police building.
Transform the font: Leaders in Minneapolis have promised big changes in policing after George Floyd’s death. Keeping them takes longer than some expected.
Chauvin is charged with second degree murder, third degree murder and second degree manslaughter. If convicted of the most serious charge, he could face 10 and a half to 15 years in prison under the sentencing guidelines for first-time offenders.
The court proceedings have attracted extensive media coverage in Minnesota and nationally.
Most jurors saw at least parts of a video of the tragic episode, which was captured by a viewer and posted to Facebook. But jurors said they could put their opinions aside and assess the case solely on the basis of the evidence presented in court.
This evidence is expected to include some details of Floyd’s drug-related arrest by Minneapolis Police in 2019. Prosecutors plan to introduce two incidents involving Chauvin to demonstrate that the former officer “intentionally assaulted Mr. Floyd’s” in a manner inconsistent with training.
The 11 days of jury selection were sometimes dramatic as some potential jurors became emotional. Some told the judge that they were concerned for their safety if they were chosen. Others said they couldn’t handle the stress and trauma of being on the jury.
The defense tried to delay or move the proceedings after the city of Minneapolis agreed to pay Floyd’s family $ 27 million to settle a lawsuit for his death.
Hennepin County District Court Judge Peter Cahill dismissed these motions. But he fired two jurors who had already been chosen and excused three candidate jurors when they said they were influenced by the regulations.
Alternate jurors will intervene if one of the 12 jurors required for the trial becomes ill or has an emergency that requires them to leave during deliberations. However, which jurors are substitutes will not be known until Cahill dismisses them, the court said last week.
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The jurors come from very diverse backgrounds. Some are familiar with the case; others did not follow the months of evolution.
The panel includes a chemist, a nurse who treated patients on ventilators, a retiree and a social worker. Seven are in their twenties or thirties, three in their forties, four in their fifties and one in their sixties.
Given the circumstances of Floyd’s death – a black man dying below the knee of a white police officer – the racial makeup of the jury is a major concern. Nine of the jurors identify as white, two as multiracial and four as black, according to the court.
Here is an overview of the jury members:
- A white man in his 20s who works as an accountant, has a 6-month-old Bernese Mountain Dog and plans to leave the state at the end of May.
- A white woman in her twenties who works as a social worker and recently married.
- A white woman in her 50s who describes herself as an animal lover with a passion for affordable housing.
- White woman in her 40s who works in insurance and says she loves the state of Minnesota.
- A black woman in her 60s who retired from marketing and said she loved spending time with her grandchildren and volunteering at a youth organization.
- A white nurse in her 50s who works with ventilated COVID-19 patients.
- A mestizo in her forties who works in business reorganization.
- A black man in his forties who works in management and has lived in Hennepin County for two decades.
- A white woman in her 50s who works in the healthcare industry and enjoys riding motorcycles.
- A black man in his 30s who works in the bank and coaches youth sports.
- A white woman in her 50s who works in a nonprofit organization and is the single mother of two teenage sons.
- Black man in his 30s who works in tech and immigrated from Africa to the United States
- A white business auditor in his thirties.
- A Métis woman in her 20s who said she registered to vote in hopes of getting a jury summons for the Chauvin case.
- A white chemist in his twenties who works in environmental testing and plays Ultimate Frisbee.
The 15-member panel is more racially diverse than Hennepin County, where jurors reside, and Minneapolis, where Floyd died.
The panel of jurors and deputies is made up of 60% white and 40% people of color, according to information released by the court.
Hennepin County is about 74% white and 14% black, according to 2019 US Census Bureau data. Minneapolis is about 64% white and 19% black.
The racial makeup of the jury will change on Monday. Cahill said he would fire one of those selected if the 12 jurors and two alternates arrive as scheduled. The courtroom does not have enough space to accommodate 15 jurors, he said.
How will lawyers find an impartial jury? 12 jurors must put aside what they saw in the George Floyd video
Dozens of potential jurors have been scrutinized by prosecution and defense attorneys, including whether they can put aside their opinions on the case, their thoughts on social movements and their opinions on the protests that have defined last summer. The audit in at least one case included an examination of the social media activity of a potential juror.
All of the jurors, including those selected, were questioned about the video showing Chauvin pressing his knee to Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. Some said they were struck by the images; others had seen only short clips. Only a few said they had seen no video of the fatal encounter.
“It was moving. I decided I didn’t want to watch it, ”a juror said. Another said it was “too disturbing” to watch the full video.
After: Derek Chauvin’s lawyer says the murder trial “is not a race issue.” His own line of questions suggests otherwise.
All were asked about the Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter movements. They offered a variety of opinions, ranging from offering strong support to the claim that the two had become marketing projects for politicians and businesses.
One of them said that Black Lives Matter didn’t always take “the best actions, but I believe black lives matter.” Another said he thought Blue Lives Matter was just a “thing” to counter the Black Lives Matter movement.
Many would-be jurors have expressed unfavorable attitudes towards Chauvin, with many saying their opinion came from the video of Floyd’s arrest. But selected jurors said they would presume Chauvin to be innocent and make their decision solely on the basis of the evidence presented at trial.
Some of the interviews with jurors provided clues as to what might shape their verdict. One noted that he wanted to hear from Chauvin to offer his version of what had happened. Another said she wanted to better understand police training and whether it was permissible to place a knee on someone’s neck.
Historic colony marked flashpoint in jury selection
As lawyers tried to find potential jurors in Derek Chauvin’s trial who were influenced by media coverage of George Floyd’s death, the city of Minneapolis approved a settlement with Floyd’s family.
News of the settlement broke during a lunch break on the fourth day of jury selection. Ben Crump, the lead lawyer for Floyd’s family, called it the biggest pre-trial settlement in a wrongful death case.
The following week, seven jurors who had been chosen before the announcement were recalled and questioned whether this threatened their impartiality. Two were fired after saying yes.
Three other potential jurors were fired because they said they could not be impartial given the regulations. Others said they had heard about the settlement but it would not influence them.
After: Minneapolis Reaches $ 27 Million Settlement with George Floyd’s Family in Wrongful Death Trial
After: George Floyd’s family’s historic civil settlement brings uncertainty to Derek Chauvin’s criminal trial
The announcement “was an incredibly bad time and extremely damaging to the defense and possibly the state,” said Mary Moriarty, former chief defender for Hennepin County.
National Guard and police plan increased presence next week
While people protested Derek Chauvin’s trial almost daily, officials said Monday afternoon that there had been no trial-related arrests or reports of property damage.
Police officials said they would increase their presence next week as opening statements begin.
“It won’t be a dramatic increase,” Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said at a press conference. “At this time, there is no information or intelligence that would justify a major increase in our posture.”
He added that there had been no credible threat to the trial or the Twin Cities area.
In preparation for the trial, the Hennepin County government center was surrounded by concrete fences and gates. Neighboring businesses have been blocked. Members of the Minnesota National Guard have been stationed outside the courthouse.
“We remain ready to respond and we are committed to preventing bad things from happening,” Harrington said.
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