Jurors Now Center Stage After Defense Gives Closing Arguments

Jurors have sat quietly during the three weeks of Derek Chauvin’s murder trial in George Floyd’s death that sparked nationwide protests and riots. The jury of six people who are black or multiracial and six people of white people have been anonymous by order of the judge until they reach a verdict.

They have set to enter their first full day of deliberations due to closing arguments consuming most of the day on Monday.

Prosecutors argued in closing that Chauvin squeezed the life out of Floyd in a way that even a child knew was wrong.

The defense rebuked that the 46-year-old Floyd died from complications of a pre-existing heart condition and multiple years of illegal drug use with former officer Chauvin acting reasonably within his training.

Chauvin, 45, is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin, if convicted, could spend the rest of his life behind bars if the jury concludes that his actions in Floyd’s death were unreasonable.

“Use your common sense. Believe your eyes. What you saw, you saw,” prosecutor Steve Schleicher said in closing arguments, referring to the bystander video of Floyd pinned to the pavement with Chauvin’s knee on or close to his neck for up to 9 minutes, 29 seconds.

Attorney Eric Nelson argued that jurors must look past the prosecution’s narrative and also assess the first 16 minutes and 59 seconds of video before reaching their verdict. In which during those 16 minutes and 59 seconds Chauvin did what any reasonable police officer would do in an ever “dynamic” and “fluid” situation involving a large man struggling with three officers.

Stores around the city of Minneapolis have been boarded up in the wake of the jury’s decision. National Guard troops have been stationed and patrolling around the courthouse that has now been ringed with concrete barriers and razor wire. This city is now poised to erupt after any decision about Chauvin has been made.

“Justice 4 George Floyd & all stolen lives. The world is watching.” – Reads a banner as hundreds of protestors and supporters of Black Lives Matter march in the streets outside the courthouse.

California Rep. Maxine Waters has already stated that if Chauvin isn’t convicted of murder then “we’ve got to get more confrontational.” Judge Peter Cahill rejected a defense request for a mistrial based on these comments but remarked:  “Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned.” He called her comments “abhorrent” and “disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch.”