State vs. Chauvin: jury selection begins
Two men and a woman were selected to be on the jury. One man is a chemist from Minneapolis, the other is an auditor and the woman from northern Minnesota who moved to Hennepin County. All three are in their 20s and 30s.
Here is a more detailed look at the aforementioned judges:
Juror No. 2
Judge # 2, a white man, was Cahill’s first choice. The judge is a chemist with a background in environmental sciences and scientific training. He lives in Minneapolis and said he had not yet seen the video of Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck on Tuesday. However, the man said he saw the still image. When he mentioned in court that he visited the 38th Street and Chicago Avenue area in southern Minneapolis, he explained, saying that “it happened in my city and it was a transformative event”.
The judge said he believed the mandatory minimums are racially prejudiced, based on statistics, after Chauvin’s lawyer, Eric Nelson, raised the matter. However, the juror told the defense that he does not believe the Minneapolis Police Department is more likely to confront black suspects more strongly than white suspects.
When asked if the jury had underlying intentions to answer questions to join or leave the jury, his response was “my answers were true”.
The man said he supports the Black Lives Matter movement, but sees the organization itself in an unfavorable light. He also has an unfavorable view of the Blue Lives Matter movement. He said that everyone should be of equal importance.
“The main point of this is that all lives must be of equal importance, and that must include the police,” he said.
The juror shared a history of conflict resolution while working as a summer camp counselor for “seven to eight” summers. He says he bases his conclusions on conflicts based on analysis and facts. When asked if he could decide the case based on the evidence, he said, “I would trust what I would hear in court.”
Juror No. 9
Judge No. 9, a woman originally from northern Minnesota, was the second person selected on the jury. She expressed her excitement – both when she was called to court and when the judge confirmed that she would be on the jury. Her reasoning was that she “finds the process fascinating”. She describes her personality as a “go with the flow” approach.
She mentioned to the court that her uncle is a police officer in Brainerd. Despite the relationship, she says it will have no impact on her decision making at the trial. She said she initially had a negative perception of Chauvin because of what she saw in the viewer’s video.
“This video just makes you sad,” she said. “Nobody wants to see someone die, whether it’s their fault or not.”
She said that there could be many reasons why Chauvin would put Floyd on the floor, and that although she heard that Floyd had drugs in his system when he died, she understands that it may not have been a factor in his death.
She also described herself as a mediator among her friends, able to resolve conflicts by reading people’s body language and using logic.
Regarding the Black Lives Matter movement and the Blue Lives Matter ideology, she believes that both are a “bigger scheme” for getting people to buy goods, and not really about what the movement claims to represent.
The run of the second confirmed judge is not known at this time.
Juror No. 19
At the final hearing of the day, Cahill approved judge No. 19 to be on the jury. The man, who describes himself as an “honest, frank and easy-to-speak person”, is an auditor.
He said he has no concern for the safety of him or his family by serving as a member of the jury in the case. He also mentioned that he would keep an open mind until all the evidence was present and considered in court, although he saw Chauvin’s video kneeling at Floyd “at least three times”, but not entirely.
He also stated in court that he had a “friend of a friend” who is a K-9 officer in the Minneapolis Police Department. He says that before the pandemic became a reality, he would normally see this person twice a year, but he assured that the relationship has no impact on his judgments in this case.
Regarding the Black Lives Matter movement, he supports his general context, saying that “Black Lives Matter matters.” He has an unfavorable opinion about the Blue Lives Matter ideology.
In addition, Cahill decided on several pre-trial motions on Tuesday, setting parameters for the trial’s testimony. Among them, Cahill said jurors would hear when Chauvin stopped working for the police department, but not that he was fired or that the city made a “substantial offer” to settle a Floyd family case. These details will not be allowed because they can imply guilt, Cahill said.
Minneapolis city attorney Jim Rowader said the city made an offer to the Floyd family last summer that was rejected. He did not provide details.
More coverage of KSTP’s Derek Chauvin essay
Cahill also determined that a fireman, who can be heard on the viewer’s video urging officers to check Floyd’s pulse, will be allowed to testify about what he saw and whether she thought medical intervention was necessary. But she will not be allowed to speculate that she could have saved Floyd if she had intervened. Testimony on what training Chauvin received will be allowed.
The court had a potential juror remaining for the day, but they will continue Tuesday morning with that person. The court should meet again at 8 am, with the jurors brought in around 9 am
The Associated Press contributed to this report.