Jury Details Revealed In Derek Chauvin Trial
The trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis cop charged with the murder of George Floyd, is in the process of jury selection, and new details have been released about the makeup of the jurors who will be hearing the case.
Nine jurors have so far been chosen with five having yet to be filled out. The panel will consist of 14 people – 12 jurors and two alternates. So far, according to ABC10, five of the jurors are white and four are people of color. Among the nine jurors selected, three are women. Their racial identity is not clear.
Additionally, the judge overseeing Derek Chauvin’s trial is considering his defense team’s request for a delay in proceedings over concerns around the historic civil settlement with George Floyd’s family. Chauvin’s defense team believes the news around the settlement, the largest of its kind, could taint the jury pool.
On Monday morning (March 17), during pretrial motions, defense attorney Eric Nelson said he is “gravely concerned” about the potential of the news affecting the seated jurors and prospective ones.
The Minneapolis City Council on Friday approved a $27 million settlement with Floyd’s family over his death. It is the most substantial in the city’s history and one of the largest in U.S. history.
The three other officers involved in Floyd’s death — Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng — will be tried later this summer. They face charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter.
All parties have pleaded not guilty.
BET has been covering every angle of the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks and other social justice cases and the subsequent aftermath and protests. For our continuing coverage, click here.
