The judge presiding over the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin denied a motion from the defense to sequester the jury after a different officer shot and killed a black man during a traffic stop on Sunday.
Judge Peter Cahill denied the motion on Monday, saying that there was no indication the jurors were unfairly influenced by the shooting of Daunte Wright, 20, a black man who was killed by police on Sunday just miles from Chauvin’s Minneapolis trial. The judge instead ruled in favor of the prosecution, who argued that jury sequestration, or the isolation of a jury to avoid accidental or deliberate tainting of the jurors by exposing them to outside information, would be unnecessary.
“The problem is, is that the emotional response that that case creates sets the stage for a jury to say, ‘I’m not going to vote not guilty because I’m concerned about the outcome.’ During voir dire, we had many, many jurors on both sides of the political or social debate who expressed concern about if they don’t agree, if the public doesn’t agree with the verdict,” Chauvin’s defense attorney Eric Nelson said. “This incident last night highlights, and I think brings it to the forefront of the jury’s mindset, that a verdict in this case is going to have consequences.”
One of the lead prosecutors, Steve Schleicher, opposed the motion, saying that “it’s a different case” and “it’s a different department. It is an officer-involved shooting. It is something that happened nearby.”
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“We really don’t know what the facts of the case are at this particular point, as those things are unfolding, but world events happen,” he added. “Things continue to happen in the state despite the fact that we’re all here in trial. That’s just what happens.”
The prosecution did not oppose regular reminders to the jury not to consume outside information about the case but argued it would be nearly impossible to enforce an all-media ban because the definition of “media” is so broad.
Chauvin, who has been accused of killing George Floyd, is on trial on charges of third-degree murder, second-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.
On May 25, 2020, Floyd, 46, was arrested after allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill. When the police attempted to apprehend him, they pinned him to the ground, and Chauvin, who is white, placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. Floyd, who was black, died, and his death sparked nationwide protests and conversations about officers’ use of force and their interactions with minority communities.
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Police shot and killed Wright during a traffic stop on Sunday. He was pulled over for a traffic violation when officers discovered that he had an outstanding arrest warrant, according to the Brooklyn Center Police Department. Wright got back into the vehicle as officers were trying to apprehend him, the statement from the police continued. One officer opened fire on Wright, and the car drove several blocks before striking another vehicle. Wright was pronounced dead at the scene.
