Jury selection in Derek Chauvin case delayed until Tuesday

The earliest opening statements will begin is March 29

Credit: AJC

Body cam transcript reveals George Floyd begged police not to kill him

Jury selection in the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer accused in the killing of George Floyd was delayed one day, as prosecutors tried to reinstate a third-degree murder charge against Derek Chauvin.

Jury selection was set to begin Monday in Chauvin’s trial, who is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death. Picking a jury is expected to take at least three weeks.

Judge Peter Cahill said he does not have jurisdiction to rule on whether the third-degree murder charge should be reinstated against Derek Chauvin while the issue is being appealed. But he said prosecutors’ arguments that the whole case would be impacted was “tenuous.”

Cahill initially ruled that jury selection would begin as scheduled on Monday, but prosecutors said they would ask the Court of Appeals to intervene, which could put the case on hold, so the judge sent the potential jurors home for the day.

The court is set to return into session at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday. The earliest opening statements will begin is March 29.

Credit: AJC

Floyd was declared dead May 25 after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes, holding his position even after Floyd went limp as he was handcuffed and lying on his stomach. Floyd’s death sparked violent protests in Minneapolis and across the U.S.

Chauvin and three other officers were fired; the others face an August trial on aiding and abetting charges.

Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, argued that pretrial publicity of the case and the subsequent violent unrest in Minneapolis would make it impossible to find an impartial jury in Hennepin County. But Judge Peter Cahill said last year that moving the trial probably wouldn’t cure the problem of a potentially tainted jury pool because “no corner of the State of Minnesota” has been shielded from pretrial publicity.

The potential jurors — who must be at least 18, U.S. citizens and residents of Hennepin County — were sent questionnaires to determine how much they have heard about the case and whether they’ve formed any opinions. Besides biographical and demographic information, jurors were asked about prior contacts with police, whether they have protested against police brutality and whether they believe the justice system is fair.

Some of the questions get specific, such as how often a potential juror has watched the bystander video of Floyd’s arrest, or whether they carried a sign at a protest and what that sign said.

Mike Brandt, a local defense attorney, said prosecutors will likely seek out jurors who have favorable opinions on the Black Lives Matter movement or might have more outrage over Floyd’s death, while Chauvin’s attorneys would likely favor jurors who support the police.

Unlike typical jury selection proceedings, this jury pool will be questioned one by one instead of in a group. The judge, defense attorney and prosecutors will all get to ask questions. The defense can object to up to 15 potential jurors without giving a reason; prosecutors can block up to nine with no reason given. The other side can object to these so-called peremptory challenges if they believe the sole reason for disqualifying a juror is race or gender.

Both sides can also argue to dismiss an unlimited number of jurors “for cause,” meaning they must provide a reason why they believe that juror shouldn’t serve. Those situations can get into some detailed machinations, Brandt said, and it’s up to the judge to decide whether a juror stays or goes.

“Sometimes there is some tortured questioning,” Brandt said.

He said that even if a juror says they have had a negative interaction with the police, or a negative opinion about Black Lives Matter, the key will be trying to find out whether they can put those past experiences or opinions aside and be fair.

“We all walk into these with biases. The question is, can you put those biases aside and be fair in this case,” he said.

Jury selection will end after 14 people are picked. The jurors will be escorted to the courthouse daily and sequestered during deliberations. Their names will be kept confidential until further order of the court.

The number of seats in the courtroom has been limited to maintain social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and seats for jurors have been spaced out. Like others in the courtroom, jurors will be required to wear masks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.