Derek Chauvin murder trial update: Jurors deliberate for second day
Jurors are deliberating for the second day in the trial of Derek Chauvin charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree “depraved mind” murder, and second-degree manslaughter for the death of George Floyd.
The former Minneapolis police officer has pleaded not guilty to the charges after kneeling on the neck of a dying Floyd during an arrest last May.
The 12 sequestered jurors are considering three weeks of testimony and hours of video evidence in the most high-profile U.S. case involving accusations of police misconduct in decades.
The jury began its deliberations on Monday after listening to closing arguments for most of the day. The jurors will consider testimonies from 45 witnesses, including bystanders, police officials and medical experts as well as video evidence to reach a verdict. Jurors must reach a unanimous verdict on each charge to convict or acquit. A single hold-out would result in a mistrial, although the state could then try Chauvin again.
The case hinges on whether the jury believes the prosecution’s argument that Chauvin’s use of excessive, and therefore illegal, force killed Floyd.
According to court records, the jury is comprised of four white women, two white men, three Black men, one Black woman and two multiracial women. The court will shield their identities until some time after they give their verdict. Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill presided over the trial.