Trial of Former Officer Accused in George Floyd’s Death Begins

After a brief delay, the trial of Derek Chauvin will kick off today. The former Minneapolis officer faces second-degree murder and manslaughter over the death of George Floyd. Chauvin was captured on video last May, kneeling on Floyd’s neck for over seven minutes. Floyd died shortly after and the incident sparked protests across the country that lasted well through the summer. Jury selections were supposed to begin yesterday, but were pushed back to this morning. The delay comes as the judge on the case awaits an appeals court decision on whether a charge for third degree murder can be re-added. This new charge could potentially make it easier for prosecutors to get a conviction. However, it’s unlikely a decision will be reached by today so the judge has decided to move forward with the jury selections. This is expected to take at least three weeks to complete. Trial arguments are then slated to start March 29th. It’s unclear how long the trial will run seeing as more than 370 potential witnesses may testify. Chauvin faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison if convicted.