Eleven jurors seated for Minneapolis ex-police officer's trial in George Floyd's death

FILE PHOTO: Trial of Derek Chauvin
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Jonathan Allen
·3 min read
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By Jonathan Allen

(Reuters) - Two women on Thursday became the 10th and 11th jurors seated in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd's deadly arrest last year, a process complicated by the city's announcement of a $27 million settlement with Floyd's family.

The two women, one white and one Black, joined a group of jurors diverse in race and age, drawn from in and around Minnesota's largest city. The jury, which will consist of 12 jurors and two alternates, will weigh what is seen as a landmark case concerning how U.S. law enforcement polices Black people.

Chauvin, 44, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter charges arising from Floyd's death, and faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge.

Chauvin, who is white, placed his knee on Floyd's neck for about nine minutes as Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man in handcuffs, begged for his life during an arrest on May 25, 2020.

The first of the two women seated as jurors on Thursday was questioned for an hour by Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill, Chauvin's lead lawyer and a lawyer working for the Minnesota district attorney's office to assess her impartiality during a process known as voir dire.

The woman, as with virtually all potential jurors screened, told the court she had seen some of the video showing the arrest, which prompted protests in many U.S. cities and in other countries against racism and police brutality.

The juror, described in court records as a white woman in her 50s, said she was a registered nurse who lived alone. When asked by Chauvin's lead lawyer, Eric Nelson, if she thought it was acceptable to sometimes "second guess" a police officer's judgment, she said yes.

"They are human," she said.

The judge has promised all jurors anonymity for the duration of the trial.

Chauvin, dressed in a suit and tie, took extensive notes on a yellow legal pad.

'MY LIFE MATTERS'

The second woman seated on Thursday, in her 60s, described herself as a doting grandmother who grew up near the site of Floyd's death and was now retired from a career in marketing.

She said she had seen news of the settlement but did not know much about it. When asked about the Black Lives Matter movement for racial justice, she said she strongly approved.

"I am Black and my life matters," she told the court.

On Wednesday, the judge dismissed two members seated during jury selection last week after they said last Friday's news of the city of Minneapolis paying Floyd's relatives $27 million to settle their federal wrongful-death lawsuit meant they could no longer be impartial.

Chauvin and three other officers were arresting Floyd on suspicion he had bought cigarettes using a fake $20 bill. The Minneapolis Police Department fired all four officers the next day, and the three other men are due to face trial later this year on aiding and abetting charges.

Chauvin's lawyer has argued that publicity surrounding the high-profile trial is prejudicial for Chauvin, and has asked the judge to reconsider a motion to move the proceedings to another county. Cahill has said he is considering that request and will rule later.

The rest of the jury seated so far includes two other white women, two white men, two Black men who immigrated to the United States from abroad and two multiracial women, according to court records.

Cahill has told jurors to avoid the news as best they can and to report back to court on March 29 for opening statements in the trial.

(Reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York; Editing by Howard Goller and Will Dunham)

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