Derek Chauvin Trial, Day 5 Live Updates: Jury Selection Continues, 7th Juror Selected
UPDATE (3:30 p.m.) Judge Cahill spoke to potential juror No. 49, who said it would be difficult for him to put his views to the side. The court released him.
Court is in recess until 8 a.m. on Monday.
UPDATE (2:55 p.m.): State strikes potential juror No. 48.
Court is in recess until 3:15 p.m.
UPDATE (2:35 p.m.): Potential juror No. 48 is being questioned by the state about his military experience in the Army Reserve.
UPDATE (2:15 p.m.): Potential juror No. 48 says he's easy going, has good sense of humor, is married with kids. He spent eight years in the Army Reserve.
He said he has a trip scheduled for a birthday during the start of the portion of the trial beginning March 29.
He said he has a neutral position when it comes to Derek Chauvin and that it's hard for bystanders to understand how those in the police and military react to certain situations.
He also said he had a somewhat positive view of George Floyd and that he seemed genuinely liked by many.
UPDATE (2:01 p.m.): Potential juror No. 46 has been excused due to financial hardship.
Potential juror No. 48 is now being questioned.
UPDATE (1:55 p.m.): Potential juror No. 46 says she doesn't think she has the time to participate in the trial due to moving and trying to get a job. State is asking questions about this.
UPDATE (1:45 p.m.): Potential juror No. 44 has been selected as the seventh juror in the Derek Chauvin trial. She's self-described as a white woman in her 50s.
Two women and five men have been seated. The jury needs five more jurors and two alternate jurors.
Potential juror No. 46 is now being questioned.
UPDATE (1:15 p.m.): Jury selection resumes with the state questioning potential juror No. 44.
No. 44 says she has empathy for both George Floyd and police officers: "Nobody wants to take someone's life" and that people are inherently good.
UPDATE (9:49 a.m.): The defense used a peremptory strike on potential juror No. 42. She is excused from jury duty. The defense now has seven strikes left for the rest of the jury selection process.
The potential juror was a woman who appeared to be in her 20s. She was a recent college graduate who described herself as a "genuine person" who likes to hike and play hockey.
In her questionnaire, she responded that she had a "somewhat negative" opinion of Derek Chauvin stemming from the bystander video of George Floyd's arrest and how long he knelt on Floyd's neck. She said she couldn't finish watching the video, explaining that she thought Chauvin's actions were inhumane.
WATCH LIVE: The Derek Chauvin trial is being streamed on CBSN Minnesota.
When questioned by the defense, she said she participated in a Black Lives Matter protest in Duluth, explaining she felt it necessary for her to show support. She did not carry a sign. The woman also said that she believed that police reform is needed. When asked if she supported defunding the Minneapolis Police Department, she said she had no opinion, explaining she needed more information to make a decision.
The potential juror said that she would be able to set aside her opinions and only consider the facts presented in court. She said she was surprised when she received the juror letter. "I thought older people would be picked, if that is a thing," she said.
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused of murdering George Floyd, enters its fifth day on Friday. Already, six jurors have been seated, and the ex-cop is facing an additional charge of third-degree murder.
The additional charge was added Thursday following a string of court decisions over the last several weeks. Judge Peter Cahill told the court he was bound by the precedent set in the case of Mohamed Noor, the ex-Minneapolis police officer convicted in the 2017 death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond. The judge said he would abide by the legal precedent in the Noor case, although he didn't agree with it.
RELATED: Derek Chauvin Trial, Day 4: Judge Adds Murder Charge, 6th Juror Selected
According to experts, the addition of the third-degree murder charge was a significant victory for the prosecution. The charge typically carries a sentence of 12.5 years, and it' widely considered easier to prove than second-degree murder, a more serious count that Chauvin is also facing. Chauvin is also accused of manslaughter.
Friday will mark the fourth day of jury selection. The process was supposed to start Monday but was delayed as the prosecution pushed to pause the trial in light of the looming decisions regard the addition of the third-degree murder charge.
So far, seven jurors have been seated. Three are people of color, four are white. There is a biracial woman, a Black man, a Hispanic man, three white men and one white woman.
Please see below the self-identified race, gender and decade of age information for the selected jurors in the trial in State of Minnesota v Derek Chauvin:
· No. 2: white male; 20s
· No. 9: multi/mixed race woman; 20s
· No. 19: white male; 30s
· No. 20: white male; 30s
· No. 27: black male; 30s
· No. 36: Hispanic male; 20s
· No. 44: white woman; 50s
The juror seated on Thursday told the court he had a "very negative" impression of Chauvin stemming from the bystander video of George Floyd's arrest. Still, the juror told attorneys that he'd be able to put that aside and consider all the evidence presented in the case.
RELATED: Timeline: George Floyd's Death, Unrest In Minneapolis And The Derek Chauvin Case
Floyd, a Black man, died on May 25 after being arrested outside a south Minneapolis convenience store. The bystander video of the arrest showed Chauvin, who is white, kneeling on Floyd's neck for several minutes as Floyd repeatedly said he couldn't breathe, screamed for this mother and eventually lost consciousness.
Three other former Minneapolis police officer are charged with aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter. They're slated to stand trial in August. As of yet, no decision has been made if the addition of the third-degree murder charge in Chauvin's case will affect them.
