The murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, on the death of George Floyd, hit a new issue on Wednesday when a Minneapolis judge was forced to dismiss two jurors who had already been seated in the high-profile case.
Hennepin District Judge Peter Cahill questioned the seven jurors who had been seated before a $ 27 million settlement was announced on a civil lawsuit for wrongful death filed by Floyd’s family, and determined that two of the panelists could no longer be impartial.
“It will impact a lot,” a jury, identified as Jury 36, in Cahill said Wednesday morning.
“So last time I was asked about my strong opinions about Chauvin,” he told the judge. “It’s clear that the city of Minneapolis also has some strong opinions. And that confirms my opinions that I already had. “
The second jury, Jury 20, admitted that the amount of the deal “impacted me” and “influenced me a bit”.
Only two of the seven said they had not heard of the deal and three others said they knew about it, but had not changed their minds about the case.
But development presents a new hurdle in the trial, where lawyers have struggled to seat jurors in the case.
Two other jurors had been seated since the news of the civil settlement occurred, for a total of nine in court. But the withdrawal of two of them on Wednesday now brings the total number of panelists down to seven.
Chauvin’s lawyer, Eric Nelson, argued that the news of the high pay affected the jury group, saying the city agreement suggests the ex-cop is guilty of the charges.
“You have the city resolving a civil lawsuit for a record amount of money and preliminary publicity is so troubling,” Nelson told the judge Tuesday. “I’m seeing the fact that we essentially still need three jurors and two alternates.”
Cahill called the news of the deal “unfortunate,” but noted that “it was not a legal decision.” This is a political decision. “
Cahill on Tuesday also expressed concern that potential jurors were receiving news that Chauvin might have been about to file a guilty plea last month.
Chauvin was reportedly willing to plead guilty to a third-degree murder charge until U.S. Attorney General William Barr blocked the deal, USA Today reported.
Jury selection – and subsequent trial – remains under strict security given the divisive and highly volatile nature of the case.
On Tuesday, Cahill criticized media reports detailing security measures on the 18th floor of the courthouse for the trial and threatened to remove cameras from the courtroom if those reports are not removed.
The judge did not mention any specific news or media.
“If you don’t, you could be expelled from the media center as well,” the judge said at the start of Wednesday’s proceedings.
Cahill is also expected to rule on two defense motions this week: delaying or moving the trial to another city because of the amount of publicity surrounding the case.
Chauvin is seen in a viral video pressing his knee into Floyd’s neck for nearly 9 minutes at a Minneapolis intersection on May 25th. The incident sparked protests around the world over police brutality and racial injustice.
Jury selection will continue Wednesday, with lawyers now needing five more jurors and two alternates to form a trial jury, which is scheduled to begin on March 29th.
