Derek Chauvin Trial, Day 6 Live Updates: Jurors To Be Called Back Over $27M Settlement; 9th Juror Seated
UPDATE (3:15 p.m.): Potential juror No. 62, the last one to be questioned Monday, was excused by the judge.
"I would have a hard time being impartial," they said.
Court is in recess until Tuesday at 8 a.m.
UPDATE (2:45 p.m.): The defense used a peremptory strike and potential juror No. 60 was excused from service.
They expressed some uncertainty about serving on this jury.
"It's a heavy burden. If you don't make the right decision ... you might think about it for a long time after the trial's over and it might have some weight," they said.
UPDATE (2:10 p.m.): Judge Peter Cahill excused potential juror No. 59 after they called themselves a "horrible candidate" for service in this case due to their work in a school with BIPOC faculty and students.
Cahill directly asked the potential juror if they could presume Derek Chauvin innocent.
"No, I'm almost sick to my stomach right now," they said.
This potential juror also expressed concerns about a police officer looking at their ID and learning their name when they entered the courthouse.
UPDATE (12 p.m.): Potential juror No. 56 in the Derek Chauvin trial is excused from duty.
The potential juror told the judge that he couldn't avoid seeing TV news reports on the case while in the breakroom at his work. He'd heard about the reinstatement of the third-degree murder charge against Chauvin.
As such, the judge dismissed him for cause.
UPDATE (11:47 a.m.): The ninth juror in the Derek Chauvin Trial is seated. She is a white woman in her 50s.
While being questioned in court, she said that she was a single mother of two, works in healthcare and likes to ride motorcycles in the Twin Cities. She reported being "disturbed" by the bystander video of George Floyd's arrest. She could not watch the full video, but said she would during jury duty.
In the questionnaire, she reported a "somewhat unfavorable" view of Chauvin. She also reported a "somewhat unfavorable" view of Black Lives Matter, repeatedly saying that she though all lives matter. She didn't know Blue Lives Matter referred to police.
Also during questioning, the juror reported an incident with police that made her uncomfortable. She described an episode last summer where she four police officers respond to a boy with a water bottle at a park. She thought the police response was excessive.
The court still needs to seat three more jurors and two alternates.
UPDATE (10:59 a.m.): Potential juror No. 54 is excused from service in the trial of Derek Chauvin.
The 75-year-old man told the judge that he didn't honestly believe he could be impartial in the case. He said he found the bystander video of George Floyd's arrest appalling, so much so that he couldn't finish watching it.
The court still needs to seat four jurors and two alternates.
UPDATE (10:28 a.m.): The eighth juror in the Derek Chauvin trial is seated.
The juror is a Black man in his 30s who's spent years in banking and coaches youth sports. He told the defense that he saw clips of the bystander video of George Floyd's arrest. He thought that Chauvin wasn't actively trying to kill Floyd but wondered why the other officers didn't intervene.
He feels that discrimination is so vast in the United States that the media can't possibly cover it all. However, he does believe that the media exaggerates certain stories of discrimination.
On police, he said that he "somewhat agrees" that officers make him feel safe. He knows officers who go to his gym who are "great guys." On the other hand, he saw officers in downtown Minneapolis body slam and mace someone who didn't respond to their commands. He felt the officers in this case used more force than necessary.
When asked about defunding the Minneapolis Police Department, the man said he "somewhat disagrees," saying he wasn't sure what that would look like in practice.
The court still needs to seat four more jurors and two alternates.
UPDATE (9:46 a.m.): Potential juror No. 51 is excused from duty.
The potential juror told Judge Peter Cahill that she had heard about the City of Minneapolis' $27 million settlement with the family of George Floyd. She said that it was so great that she could no longer be impartial in the case against Derek Chauvin.
UPDATE (9:12 a.m.): Judge Peter Cahill says he will call back the seven seated jurors so that they can be questioned in light of the the City of Minneapolis' $27 million civil settlement with George Floyd's family.
In a motions hearing Monday morning, Eric Nelson, the attorney for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, said the defense found last Friday's press conference regarding the settlement "profoundly disturbing." He said that Mayor Jacob Frey is a lawyer and should "know better" than to hold such a press conference in the middle of jury selection in the biggest criminal case in Minnesota history.
"The goal of this system is to provide a fair trial, and this is not fair," Nelson said.
Nelson called for the seven jurors to be called back for more questions. He also pushed with a continuance, a change of venue and more strikes for the defense.
Cahill said he would call back the seven jurors, but denied the strikes. He is taking the motion for the continuance under advisement.
The state argued that they have no control over the civil suit, the Minneapolis City Council or what the media chooses to cover.
In response, Cahill told the prosecution: "You'll agree it's unfortunate...it cuts. The defense has a concern, the state has a concern."
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The second week of the Derek Chauvin trial begins Monday. He is the former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd. He is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Before jury selection continues, Judge Peter Cahill could address the city of Minneapolis' $27 million settlement with Floyd's family last week. According to experts, the defense could motion for a mistrial on the basis that the jury could be affected by the news of the settlement.
Criminal defense attorney Joe Tamburino, who is not affiliated with the case, says the defense could also motion for a change of venue or to recall the seven jurors who have already been seated. Additionally, the court could also move to fully sequester the jury.
RELATED: Criminal Defense Attorney Joe Tamburino On What $27M Settlement Means For Derek Chauvin's Trial
So far, seven jurors have been seated in the case. Five are men, two are women. Four are white, one is mixed race, one is Black and one is Hispanic. They range in ages from their 20s to their 50s.
The court is seeking to seat 12 jurors and two alternates. Opening statements are currently slated to be heard on March 29.
Floyd, a Black man, died on May 25 after being arrested outside a south Minneapolis convenience store. Bystander video captured Chauvin, who is white, kneeling on Floyd's neck for several minutes as Floyd was handcuffed, repeatedly saying he couldn't breathe.
Three other former Minneapolis police officers are also charged with aiding and abetting in Floyd's death. They are scheduled to stand trial in August.
