Despite complaints from the prosecution that minority candidates were facing discrimination in the selection process, the court approved a black man to be a juror in the Derek Chauvin murder case.
The man, who will not be identified for the duration of the trial, worried the former Minneapolis police officer’s defense team during his round of questioning. When asked about the Black Lives Matter movement, the man said, “All lives matter, but black lives matter more because they are marginalized.”
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He also said that he once lived near the neighborhood where George Floyd died last May and expressed fear that “it could have been me” who was allegedly killed by Chauvin.
“I also believe that, to make the justice system work, I think we need people that are part of the community to sit as a juror,” the man told the court.
The man asserted that he didn’t believe in defunding the police and felt more secure with law enforcement in his community, adding, “I believe our cops need to be safe and feel safe in order to protect our community.”
During the first two days of the trial, both sides struggled to find suitable jurors given how many biases so many locals held about the case.
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Close to two dozen potential jurors have been excused from the case so far, with the court finding five suitable jurors as of Wednesday afternoon.
The prosecution alleged discrimination against the defense on Tuesday after it objected to two minority jurors. Judge Peter Cahill sided with the defense, and the two minority jurors were dismissed.
On Monday morning, jurors were sent home at the start of the hearing after prosecutors filed an appeal to force the court to hear a third-degree murder charge against Chauvin. The court of appeals has yet to respond to that request. As of today, Chauvin faces charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter.
