The murder trial of ex-cop Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd hit a new problem on Wednesday when a judge in Minneapolis was forced to dismiss two jurors who were already sitting in the court case.
Hennepin District Judge Peter Cahill questioned the seven jurors who sat before the news of a $ 27 million settlement of a civil unlawful lawsuit filed by Floyd’s family – and determined that two of the panel members can no longer be impartial.
“It will have a huge impact,” a juror, identified as Juror 36, told Cahill on Wednesday morning.
“So, last time I was asked about my strong opinions about Chauvin,” he told the judge. “It is clear that the city of Minneapolis also has strong opinions. And this kind of confirms my opinions I already had. ”
The second juror, Juror 20, admitted that the amount of the settlement ‘shocked’ me and swung ‘me’ slightly. ‘
Only two of the seven said they had not heard of the settlement, and three others said they knew about it, but that did not change their opinion on the matter.
But the development presents a new obstacle during the trial, where lawyers struggled to put judges in the case.
Two other jurors have sat on the panel since the news of the civil settlement arose, for a total of nine. But the removal of two of them Wednesday now brings the total number of panel members to seven.
Chauvin’s lawyer, Eric Nelson, argued that the news of the hefty payout had infected the jury pool, saying the city’s settlement indicated the ex-policeman was guilty of the charges.
“You have to file a civil lawsuit against the city for a record amount, and the advertising before the trial is just as worrying,” Nelson told the judge on Tuesday. “I’m looking at the fact that we actually need three more sitting jurors plus two substitutes.”
Cahill called the news of the settlement “unfortunate”, but noted that it was “not a legitimate decision”. It is a political decision. ”
Cahill also expressed concern on Tuesday that prospective judges would be notified that Chauvin could be on the verge of a guilty plea last month.
According to reports, Chauvin was willing to plead guilty to a third-degree murder charge until then-US Attorney General William Barr blocked the deal, USA Today said.
The choice of the jury – and the subsequent trial – is kept under strict security, given the divisive and extremely volatile nature of the case.
Cahill acted on Tuesday with media reports outlining the security measures on the 18th floor of the court for the trial and threatening to pull cameras out of the courtroom if the reports were not removed.
The judge did not name specific news reports or media reports.
“If you do not do that, you could also be kicked out of the media center,” the judge said at the start of Wednesday’s proceedings.
Cahill is also expected to rule this week on two defense measures – to postpone the trial or move to another city due to the amount of publicity surrounding the case.
Chauvin is seen on a viral video that pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for nearly 9 minutes at an intersection in Minneapolis on May 25th. The incident caused worldwide protests over police brutality and racial injustice.
The jury’s selection will continue on Wednesday, with lawyers now needing five more jurors and two deputies to appoint a jury for the trial, which is expected to begin on March 29.
