Chauvin Judge Made Life Scary For The Jurors

Written By BlabberBuzz | Wednesday, 27 October 2021 04:45 PM
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The Minnesota state judge who presided over the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin said Monday he would publicize the names of fifteen jurors and alternates in the courtroom by next week.

Judge Peter Cahill's order announced he will make the list of jurors public on November 1.

The written questionnaires of all 109 potential jurors who were formally evaluated will also be published.

Chauvin was convicted in April of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter of George Floyd on May 25, 2020.

He was sentenced to 22-and-a-half years for kneeling on Floyd's neck for nine-and-a-half minutes as the black man repeatedly pleaded that he couldn't breathe.

Cahill initially kept the names of the jurors sealed, citing the high-profile nature of the case, and had ordered their identities remain shielded for at least 180 days after the verdict.

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A media coalition, which includes The Associated Press, requested that Cahill release the jurors' identities, insisting the media and public have a right to the information and there was no known threat to juror safety that would warrant keeping their names sealed.

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Prosecutors asked the court to keep the names secret, saying that releasing them could subject jurors to harassment and make it harder to seat a jury for the trial of Chauvin's three co-defendants next year.

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Cahill acknowledged the jurors were called upon to carry out their duties in a case that 'played out on a stage of unprecedented public interest and press coverage in the wake of tremendous social upheaval and civic unrest' in Minneapolis.

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At this point, he argued, there is no strong reason to believe that jurors need protection from any external threats to safety or that releasing their names would interfere with the fair and impartial administration of justice.

Two Chauvin jurors and one alternate have come forward to tell their stories since the trial, while the remaining ten jurors and two alternates have not.

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Earlier this year, it was revealed that one of the jurors, Brandon Mitchell, lied on his jury questionnaire when he said he didn't attend any rallies related to Black Lives Matter or Floyd.

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A photo, posted on social media, shows Mitchell attending an August 28, 2020 event in Washington, DC, to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr's 'I Have a Dream' speech during the 1963 March on Washington.

It shows Mitchell, a high school basketball coach, standing with two other men and wearing a T-shirt with a picture of King and the words, 'GET YOUR KNEE OFF OUR NECKS' and 'BLM'. He is also wearing a baseball cap printed with Black Lives Matter.

Mitchell has admitted the photo is of him, but defended attending the rally, claiming it was not explicitly a protest against police or commemoration for George Floyd.

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