Derek Chauvin’s defense asks for trial to be postponed in light of Minneapolis settlement with the Floyd family

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At a hearing on Monday, Nelson said he is “deeply concerned” about the announcement, calling it “incredibly damaging.”

“It’s amazing to me, they had a press conference on Friday where the mayor of Minneapolis was on the podium with the city council, and they use very, what I would say, very well-designed terminology.” The unanimous decision of the city council, “For example. It goes straight to the heart of the dangers of publicity prior to the trial,” said Nelson.

The defense said one of the appropriate remedies would be a postponement of the trial or more questioning of jurors.

The prosecution acknowledged that the timing of the settlement was “unfortunate,” but opposed the defense’s proposed remedies.

Judge Peter Cahill, who oversees the trial, said he would call back the seven jurors already selected in the case and question them about the settlement. He said he would consider the defense motion for postponement.
What we know about the judges selected so far in Derek Chauvin's trial

“It’s a shame, and I wish they hadn’t, but I don’t feel any ill intent about the timing,” Cahill said.

The consequences of that settlement were made clear on Monday with the first juror questioned. The juror told the judge that she was “nearly gasping for breath” when she heard about the $ 27 million settlement and said she could not be fair to Chauvin. She was rightly excused to the jury.

The request came as the second week of jury selection began in the trial of Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. Floyd’s final moments, videotaped, led to widespread protests against police brutality and racism under the banner of Black Lives Matter and incidents of unrest and looting.

Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter. He also pleaded not guilty to third-degree murder, a charge that was reinstated in the case on Thursday.

Jury selection in the case began on March 9, and as of Monday morning, seven jurors have sat in the case. A total of fourteen jury members are needed, including two alternates.

Of the seven judges selected so far, four are white, one is black, one is Hispanic, and one is mixed race, according to how the court says they identified themselves on their jury investigation. Five of the judges are men and two are women.

The testimony does not begin until March 29 in the trial.

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