Opening Statements in Derek Chauvin’s Trial Begin

Opening statements in the Derek Chauvin trial were heard this morning. 45 year old former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges. Defense Attorneys plan to make the case that Floyd’s death was due to unrelated medical issues and drug use and argue that Chauvin was following proper Police protocol. This morning, Floyd’s family members stood outside the Hennepin County courthouse and knelt for 8 minutes and 46 seconds to commemorate Floyd’s death.

During jury selection, jurors were asked about their views of the Black Lives Matter movement, defunding the police and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the National Anthem. The trial will focus on questions specific to George Floyd, including the video of his death, his autopsy, Chauvin’s mindset and ill-defined legal terms like ‘depraved mind’ and ‘culpable negligence’. The trial is being broadcast live in it’s entirety to accommodate Covid-19 attendance restrictions and give the public a look at the most important case of the Black Lives Matter era.