NEW YORK, March 8. /TASS/. The trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in May of 2020, has begun in Minneapolis (Minnesota) Monday, the local newspaper Star Tribune reported.
According to the newspaper, the trial is to start with the jury selection.
The trial is taking place at the Hennepin County District Court, Minnesota, and presided over by Judge Peter Cahill. ... Chauvin is present at the trial.
Before the trial a fence and concrete barriers were installed around the courthouse and several other buildings in Minneapolis. The authorities fear demonstrations and riots. In recent days, some campaigns have already taken place near the court; there have been no incidents.
The parties are expected to select 12 jury members, as well as two more substitutes. It is expected that the defense or prosecution will be able to deliver opening remarks no earlier than March 29.
Possible delay
It is likely that the timing of the proceedings can be changed. According to the Star Tribune, the Court of Appeals ruled last week that Cahill erred in dismissing the third-degree murder charge against Derek Chauvin. The court asked Cahill to reconsider the charge, leaving an uncertain path forward in a high stakes trial being watched around the world.
The court in Hennepin County previously authorized the indictment of second-degree murder against Chauvin. The court dropped the charge of murder in the third degree from the ex-policeman and later refused the prosecutor's office to overturn this decision. Now, according to the Court of Appeals’ ruling, charging Chauvin with murder in the third degree should be reconsidered.
Nevertheless Judge Cahill stressed Monday at the start of the trial that the parties could proceed with the selection of the jury. The prosecutor's office opposed this.
Under Minnesota law, second-degree murder carries a prison sentence of no more than 40 years and third-degree murder, 25 years.
According to legal experts, if Chauvin is simultaneously charged with second and third degree charges, the jury is more likely to find him guilty of at least one of them. In particular, the jury may consider his conviction of third-degree murder as a compromise, the experts say.
Death of George Floyd
George Floyd, an African-American Minneapolis man, was detained by the police in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020 and died after Chauvin kneeled on his neck and choked him to death while being taken into custody. Chauvin’s former colleagues J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao were charged with aiding and abetting murder and second-degree manslaughter. On May 26, 2020, all police officers involved in the deadly arrest were fired.
Mass unrest engulfed many US states over the death of Floyd. To counter the riots, local law enforcement is often supported by the US National Guard. 40 cities, including New York and Washington, enacted a curfew.