Not in terms of spectacle. But in terms of visibility and racial tensions/implications.

I can't remember the last trial (other than OJ) where all the court proceedings played out in full on the news.

.. I hope we collectively burn this entire shithole country to the ground.

If that vile bag of racist shit isn't guilty then we just need to fucking start over. We're already close, but an acquittal in *this instance* would confirm that we are positively hopeless as a society.

Cuz I agree with you, I kinda gave up hope on this place a long time ago as well.

I just think an acquittal in this particular case may be the end all be all for like the vast majority of folks.

But then again I guess those two thoughts are inherently at odds. So I dunno.

... both happened in the same damn year. Cuz I feel like anti-gun folks like myself often point to Sandy Hook and say, when we collectively decided that even KIDS being murdered by these weapons of war wasn't horrifying enough to elicit national action on gun control, then nothing would be.

And you can say the same about Zimmerman being acquitted in Trayvon's murder. If that murder didn't result in justice for the Black community in this country, nothing will.

And *this* Chauvin case is on fucking video !!

black pain on display.

America has imported more warlord theocracy from Afghanistan than it has exported democracy.

and he will get off.

I doubt this will be as BIG as the Rodney Kind riots in LA - but I think it'll be more widespread.

and maddening, and so many other things. Every time I check in on this one it fucks me up. The video is horrible, but then hearing witnesses describe it adds layers to how fucked this truly was.

Not sure how it compares in terms of spectacle. I hope it's approached w/more seriousness than most of the OJ shit was, though.

I'd love to disagree w/the cynical posters who are already ready to be disappointed by Chauvin's acquittal, but this is America. I'd be almost shocked it turned out any other way.

it’s no way something as heartbreaking goes unchecked.

I hear you too tho...

keep hearing it as the George Floyd trial.

The OJ stuff was, i hate to use the word fun but it was in some ways.

This one is all bad

the horror all laid out on front street. there's no hiding from this one. you're either on one side or the other, but there's really no ambiguity as to what happened. We all saw a murder.

i understand why - past trauma from non-convictions, etc....but i don't think so on this one.

you got cops testifying against him, you got dispatchers that work for emergency services, you got the mma fighter dude that trained officers in hand to hand tactics, etc.

those are the witnesses that usually get the cops off, not convicted.

also, everyone is aware of the looming consequences that could pop off if there's not a conviction.

i think even if it's not totally on the up and up (like, putting influence on the jury, etc), they are convicting this dude. they don't want those problems that'll happen if they don't.

now I will say I won't be shocked if they don't ring him up on the most severe charges...and that might be enough for shit to pop off.

i mean, maybe that's a stupid question.

OBVIOUSLY, i can understand why someone would think, YES, he's really getting off.

i just don't see it on this one. not when the witnesses who usually exonerate cops are testifying against them. that hits different.

i hope i'm right. not even because of potential consequences for the country and Minnesota if not, but simply because dude is guilty of a crime and a badge should not absolve you of being held responsible for your actions and for being punished when they've gone beyond the pale.

but i get why many don't, and i hold no expectation about what the conviction will amount to since there's not only been too many non-convictions but also too many "moral victory" (in the eyes of the jury, i guess?) types where they convict but the punishment is light.

I want to see justice done, but how many times have you seen a police actually held to account? The track record is what it is, even when you have pretty ironclad video proof. Eric Garner, Oscar Grant, Tamir Rice all come to mind.

I really really hope Derek Chauvin goes down for the full weight of his crime, though. My expectations are just really low.

>I want to see justice done, but how many times have you seen
>a police actually held to account? The track record is what
>it is, even when you have pretty ironclad video proof. Eric
>Garner, Oscar Grant, Tamir Rice all come to mind.
>
>I really really hope Derek Chauvin goes down for the full
>weight of his crime, though. My expectations are just really
>low.

because if he's convicted, but it's a conviction of a lesser charge, especially if it's a light sentence?

that's not justice.

who refuses to ever convict a police officer.

granted idk exactly what he is charged w/. im out the loop.
but if he does more than 2 years i'd be shocked.

so I don't expect this to wrap up anytime soon.

Did Breonna Taylor's killers get anything?

Daniel Pantaleo and Darren Wilson out here living their best lives.

As far as case similarities...it's Rodney King

I hadn't watched the video before the trial

Of course I'm familiar with the story and saw images

But I never actually watched the video

The reason it's more Rodney King...is because there is irrefutable evidence from an objective perspective

The defense of these actions has to move further and further from reason to defend

Dude is really sitting on the neck of a dead man for at least 3 minutes

What could possibly give someone reasonable doubt, after watching that video?

I'm truly afraid of a not guilty verdict

The typical "I feared for my life" is gonna sound like such Bullshit.

C'mon.

they feared for their life.

----------

IG @erichrigonan

A conviction is not going to end these murders or even serve as a deterrent for most cops. We can say we've gotten justice when these pigs no longer have the power to murder us. I do hope for a conviction if only to bring some peace to his family and the community. Even if it's only for a moment.

Derek Chauvin has to be the least mentioned person on trial for murder in the history of people on trial for murder.

It seems they are painting this picture about "bad" drugs that he took right? because he had fentanyl in his system during the incident they can say the "bad" drugs are what really killed George Floyd not Chauvin.

It can't be murder if Floyd died because of something else.
They'll try to make the case that there is reasonable doubt that Chauvin was even the main cause of death.

it's the only story they can weave - that it was floyd's health or the substances in his system that killed him, not the knee on his neck.

which we all know is bullshit because those things kill you w/out police intervention, and he was lucid and talking and pleading for his life up until Chauvin's knee choked the life out of him.

and i'm sure the prosecution will mention all of that.

i don't know how one attorney can handle this.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/03/30/derek-chauvin-trial-eric-nelson-defense-george-floyd/6969253002/

Derek Chauvin's trial in the death of George Floyd appears to be a match of a lone defense attorney battling a stacked prosecution by the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office with seemingly limitless resources.

Attorney Eric Nelson stands with Chauvin and Amy Voss – whom Nelson describes as his "assistant" but is a licensed attorney – on one side of the courtroom of Judge Peter Cahill. Several feet away, there’s a rotating crew of four state prosecutors, including Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.

Despite appearances, Nelson is hardly working solo. Nelson, a private attorney with the firm Halberg Criminal Defense, has plenty of help from the Minneapolis Police and Peace Officers Association's legal defense fund.

The group, Minnesota's largest federation of officers and unions, is paying for up to a dozen other attorneys working the case behind the scenes, according to MPPOA Executive Director Brian Peters. Nelson has assistance and lots of cash to spend on a trial that is likely to run at least a month, Peters said.

“You know the matchup," Peters said. “The 12 attorneys on our side work very well together, so it's not like Eric is doing this case alone.”

The legal fund carries the financial weight, including attorneys' salaries, despite Chauvin being fired from the Minneapolis Police Department the day after Floyd's death May 25. The firing came hours after the police chief saw a viral video of Chauvin pressing his knee into Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes.

In response to Floyd's death, protests and fiery riots broke out in Minneapolis and across the country over police violence against Black civilians.

Derek Chauvin's attorney says the murder trial 'is not about race':His own line of questioning suggests otherwise.

Facing charges of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, Chauvin could spend 10 to 15 years in prison if convicted as a first-time offender – though a maximum sentence on the most serious charge carries a 40-year term.

“When you're staring down the barrel of a long prison sentence and you are fighting for your freedom, you know you're going to take help wherever it's available,” said Thomas Needham, a Chicago lawyer who has defended police officers accused of misconduct. “Our system says he's entitled to a defense, and he's entitled to the best defense that he can afford.”

For some, including Peters, Chauvin is due such a robust defense – particularly from the MPPOA's legal fund, which Chauvin paid into as a member during his 19-year policing career.

The American Civil Liberties Union agrees, to a degree. But it worries that the appearance of a police organization paying to defend a fired officer – something Peters said Chauvin is entitled to since he was on the job when Floyd died – sends the wrong message.

"Chauvin is certainly entitled to a rigorous defense," said Somil Trivedi, senior staff attorney at the ACLU's Criminal Law Reform Project. But "I don't think the union can simultaneously bring credibility to discussions about meaningful reform and then push ... defending Derek Chauvin's conduct.

"Police unions have have shown their cards, and so I hope that people can see things like what they're doing in Derek Chauvin's case and take their opinions on reform with a grain of salt."

Needham argued that is an unfair take.

"The idea that he is fired and why are they still defending him – that's all wrong because labor and management are two different sides," Needham said. "So management decided that he should be fired. But the unions don't give up and sign on to the management's decision. In a case like (Chauvin's), they have to make their own decision about what they do with their resources."

It's 'David against Goliath.' Or is it?

Staffing and funding for both sides came up in a tense exchange during jury selection when Cahill – angered that a $27 million civil settlement for the Floyd family had come up again – interrupted prosecutor Steve Schleicher mid-sentence.

“How many lawyers are … working for the state in this case, Mr. Schleicher?” Cahill asked. “Is it 10, 12?”

Schleicher responded: “I don’t have that number, your honor, but I do know that the police federation, the union, is funding the defendant’s defense.”

Cahill suggested the number of attorneys on the state’s side makes it easier for the state to handle ancillary matters – such as dealing with the news conferences surrounding security for the trial and settlement issues and filing affidavits or motions about those issues.

Attorneys Eric Nelson, left, and Amy Voss, Derek Chauvin's defense team, introduce themselves to potential jurors March 23 at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis.
“The fact (is) that the state has a lot of lawyers on this case, who can sit outside this courtroom and start grinding out things,” Cahill said. “Mr. Nelson does not … have the same level of support.”

Actually, Nelson does.

A dozen lawyers help with the case, investigation and trial prep. Peters said the MPPOA expects to spend $1 million-plus on Chauvin’s case from the legal fund, which is paid into by officers throughout the state who belong to unions.

The legal defense fund can also be tapped by the three officers charged with aiding and abetting Chauvin in Floyd's death: Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao,who face trial together in August.

"Whenever you're dealing as a defense lawyer with the state or the federal government, in every criminal case, it's David against Goliath," said Lane's attorney, Earl Gray. "They (the government) have all the power, they have all the money, they have all the investigators. ... So in any criminal defense case, there's that aspect of being the underdog."

Who's working for the state?

Chauvin was initially charged by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office before Gov. Tim Walz ordered Ellison to take over the case. Not all bills are in, according to the attorney general's office, but as of Thursday, the attorney general's payout was more than $112,572, not counting salaries. Some private attorneys, many high-profile, work pro bono for the prosecution.

Among them are Schleicher, who has presented much of the state's side during jury selection. Formerly an assistant U.S. attorney, he is a trial and appellate lawyer and a partner at Maslon.

Lead prosecutor Matthew Frank, head of the attorney general's criminal division, has been with the office for 21 years. He worked as an assistant county attorney and as a public defender – so he knows both sides of the legal equation.

Others include Jerry Blackwell, founding partner of Blackwell Burke. In addition to criminal work, he has litigated complex product liability, tort and commercial disputes; Neal Katyal, partner at the international law firm Hogan Lovells and former acting solicitor general and former principal deputy solicitor general of the United States; and Lola Velázquez-Aguilu, litigation and investigation counsel for Medtronic, as well as a former prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota.

Who's defending Derek Chauvin?

Chauvin's case was originally assigned to Tom Kelly, who successfully defended another Minnesota police officer, Jeronimo Yanez, in the death of Philando Castile.

Castile, 32, was fatally shot in 2016 while in the driver’s seat of a car near the state Capitol. The shooting was caught on video and reached millions of viewers on social media. Yanez was acquitted in 2017, and the Castile family reached a $3 million settlement with the city of St. Anthony, which employed Yanez.

Kelly's number was called in the rotation at the MPPOA for Chauvin, but he was expected to retire soon, so the case, according to Peters, went to Nelson.

The other attorneys, who hold full-time jobs but are available to Nelson, are members of the MPPOA's legal fund.

When news broke that Nelson was taking over the case, some focused on his experience defending people facing charges of driving under the influence. Peters was quick to denounce that definition of Nelson.

"You don't get on this panel for defending DWI cases. He's experienced in several murder trials," Peters said. "And to say that he's working alone on this is incorrect. He's got a lot of support behind the scenes; you just may not see it in court every day."

Eric Ferkenhoff is the Midwest criminal justice reporter for the USA TODAY Network.

are those other lawyers even in the courtroom?

and they said the Amy voss lady just passed the bar but i aint verify.

Defense theory #1
Unruly mob interfered with officer’s ability to perform their duties properly
4 underage girls, an elderly man and a firefighter
Shot that one down

Defense theory #2
The officers acted upon training and performed their duties accordingly
Supervisor said restraint should have been released
Police chief will testify officers are not trained in the tactic used
and I read that additional force when a suspect is cuffed is explicitly forbidden in the training
2 is going down, but I think the supervisor’s testimony was enough already

Defense theory #3
He OD’d
The defense will have a medical examiner testify he overdosed
...that’s all they got at this point...

IMO, the defense is just grasping at straws with all of these strategies
I think the jury will be left very confused on exactly what they are claiming as a reasonable defense
They should have focused on a singular theory and used every witness to strengthen that theory
It’s looking like a throw everything at the wall and see what sticks strategy
I don’t think that’s going to work.

>It’s looking like a throw everything at the wall and see
>what sticks strategy
>I don’t think that’s going to work.

If they throw a bunch of random arguments at the wall, all they need is one of those to put "reasonable" doubt in the mind of one juror. And all it takes is one juror who is looking for any possible reason to not convict a police officer.

Present them all. Theory 1 might convince 1 juror, theory 2 might convince a other, etc.

Big black Superman skrong dude hyped up on drugs was threatening my life

conflicts with the defense that he OD’d

AND

if that’s the case, why would he ever stop choking him?

He gets off when the paramedics arrive...but they want us to believe Chauvin didn’t know he was dead and could pop back up at any second and kill us all

...why would he leave the paramedics to deal with that if it’s reasonable?

Stand back Johnson, you ever see the re-animator

IMO, they’re making a case to choke someone until they’re in jail

and we could go line for line like that for the entire defense

I thought the ex gf humanized Floyd and was able to put it into context of the larger opioid epidemic.

You can bet some of those jury members have friends or fam struggling with addiction too.

Fucks with their drug theory

I'm getting the impression that even if an OD is reasonable

...it doesn't absolve the officers of their conduct...

Once George was unresponsive...whether OD or choke...that triggers another set of protocols

They are responsible for his well being once he's in custody

Just listening to the Dr's testimony...I don't think the drugs will matter.

the officers still had the responsibility to provide aid. might be the difference in the various charges though

enough punishment for not following proper protocol, but argue that there is reasonable doubt of the cause of death for the charges against him.

>the officers still had the responsibility to provide aid.
>might be the difference in the various charges though

second-degree manslaughter — culpable negligence creating unreasonable risk.

If a suspect is in cuffs, restrained by his hands and feet, in the prone position...putting a knee on the neck is 2nd degree manslaughter

drugs or no drugs.

The eyewitness testimony of the first few days was necessary to admit the vids into evidence

we're getting into actual factuals with higher ups and medical professionals testifying now

...I don't see a reasonable defense when you get down to it...

hold. But all it takes is one juror looking for any possible reason to NOT convict a cop.

>second-degree manslaughter — culpable negligence creating
>unreasonable risk.
>
>If a suspect is in cuffs, restrained by his hands and feet, in
>the prone position...putting a knee on the neck is 2nd degree
>manslaughter
>
>drugs or no drugs.

The defense tried to admit into evidence Chauvin's complete body cam recording

The defense pacifically wanted the conversation between officers on the scene...after George was on the way to the hospital...admitted into evidence

Judge didn't allow it

I'm assuming there's some sympathetic language in that conversation

Starting to feel like he's going to have to testify to the perceived threat...because they aren't establishing that based on the evidence

I am captivated by the medical professionals testimony

Lt. that testified today had some pretty damning evidence.

It will be interesting to see the defense's strategy.

Defense has show their strategy anf its not compelling.

i've only been watching sparingly and it's fucking w/ my mindstate.


peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

I was really interested in the expert testimonies

The points I can’t see the defense getting past
1 They are making the case to choke someone indefinitely. Based on the expert testimony, you really have to question when the defense thinks it’s reasonable to release a neck restraint considering their argument
2 Drugs or no drugs, LEOs are responsible for rendering aid to an unconscious suspect in their custody

That’s all I really wanted to hear...but I’ll probably cue up the ME testimony at some point

It’s really hard to stay engaged when the defense attorney just rambles on through irrelevant questions
I can’t follow the defense for these lengthy excursions
I feel at this point they should be hammering key points
They’re not...and it’s hard to follow a reasonable defense

They're saying "Most of the time Chauvin didn't have his knee on his neck - it was actually on his back! The only times it was on his neck is when someone took a video/photo - EVERY other time it wasn't on his neck - so he wasn't using excessive force."

It's clearly a lie - but that's what they are shooting for.

A unreasonable juror might fall for it.

position at a point.

not arguing with you but with their defense.

>position at a point.
>
>not arguing with you but with their defense.

Yeah they're defense is bad - but it might work.

This is about playing the jurying. that's all they have thanks to the eye witnesses and the videos.

2nd degree manslaughter is based on negligence

Murder is based on intent

I don’t think that defense is reasonable for 2nd degree manslaughter

Lead investigator in Derek Chauvin case changes mind about what George Floyd said in video

https://apple.news/AyMYJW587SeacmBpX3re6Hg

"Did it appear that Mr. Floyd said, 'I ate too many drugs?" defense attorney Eric Nelson asked Reyerson.

"Yes, it did," Reyerson said.

After a short break, the prosecution played for Reyerson a longer clip of the video that provided the lead up to that comment.

"Having heard it in context, are you able to tell what Mr. Floyd is saying there?" prosecutor Matthew Frank asked.

"Yes, I believe Mr. Floyd was saying, 'I ain't do no drugs," Reyerson replied.

The defense is saying this: "The dude was in such poor health he couldn't withstand the reasonable force on a knee on the neck for a reasonable 10 minutes. See he even says he "Ate too many drugs!"

They are despicable.

>The defense is saying this: "The dude was in such poor health
>he couldn't withstand the reasonable force on a knee on the
>neck for a reasonable 10 minutes. See he even says he "Ate too
>many drugs!"
>
>They are despicable.

Despicable is a good start tho.

he loves his job lol

it’s going to be impossible to dispute his testimony.

So not impossible to dispute. It comes down to whose argument is more credible to the jury

That’s how we get to the ME investigation right?

I’m sure they’re going to offer conflicting testimony

...but that’s their job...

It’s extremely interesting that these medial professionals arrived at conclusions that don’t fit the defense’s narrative

... and then you add in all the documentation of the events (vids)...

Listening now, Thomas went through each of the defense’s arguments, explained how/why they were ruled out as the primary cause and how she arrived at her conclusion

Even with a defense witness claiming drugs were the cause...I assume the prosecution will still get them to admit it was asphyxia

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-race-georgefloyd/doctor-who-performed-george-floyd-autopsy-stands-by-homicide-conclusion-idUSKBN2BW26K

Was listening to some coverage and one of the analysts made a great point

If you’re going to blame the unruly crowd/angry mob...you’re admitting that you did something wrong

i.e. because a firefighter called me a bitch I couldn’t do my job properly

They’re basically admitting they did it wrong.

I really hope the prosecution puts that in the close

You can’t claim you didn’t do anything wrong...and then blame the witnesses for not doing it right

Loving the expert testimony

Black lawyer is killing it

His questions are direct, concise and easy to follow

+1, heard Hannity talking down an idiot
He’s absolutely certain their will be a conviction
For some reason, that gives me more hope than anything

That's where the crowd stuff comes in. They are saying that it is reasonable that the stress of the crowd can make someone behave differently and not by the book

Sounds like speculation about his state of mind

Nobody else can testify to the threat he perceived...right?

Knee to neck before handcuffs and if he was struggling and only for a few seconds? MIGHT be reasonable.

Video of knee on throat for MINUTES while handcuffed? Not reasonable under ANY circumstance.

Afraid of crowd?:
Reasonable to get up and everyone leave.
Not reasonable to stay in same place with knee on someone's neck.

The all hinges on the jury not having people who can be swayed by BULLSHIT.

With Rodney King they slowed the video down and tried to ascribe every swing of the WILD ass beating as calculated blows to subdue him. That jury bought that shit.

into evidence unless he testifies

It would be interesting to watch him explain working the nightclub scene... and being distracted to the point of homocide on a Labor Day afternoon at a convenience store

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqHTvYRM-y0

F'n masterclass

Gets cooking around 15mins in...unless you're interested in his qualifications...full vid linked

Spoilers...it goes a step further in graphic detail

LOL@Nelson basically throws up his hands and walks away

damn, I hate this video of the passengers

In the beginning of the video, like the optics of that for the jury.

But then when they got to the end it was clear his two friends didn’t have a good vantage point on what was fully going on

without no doubt it’s bullshit tho

video of a man being killed in front of us

America.. smh.

He was all...I don’t consider the prone position dangerous
Cross immediately starts questions about positional asphyxia

His testimony about using escalations of force was so telling and damning of police training

He literally said GF was resisting because he was breathing and the involuntary anoxic shock

SMH, if that’s an expert on use of force...I can see the problem

Even the prior arrest helped the prosecution
Same situation... but he lived
What was the difference?

If the defense’s medical expert is this incompetent...it’s a wrap.

All they have left is the crowd
Which the defense would have you believe...bystanders yelling to get off GF and check his pulse...somehow distracted you from getting off of him and checking his pulse

I think the appeal will be for ineffective counsel

not after their expert witness was looking for an Objection (any sign of help) during the cross exam LOL



They got his ass with the WHAT YOU MEAN HE WAS COMFORTABLE line too

I love his black ass lol.

but there were no real societal implications there

i woulda said that muthafucka is guilty of all em.

guess i gotta wait til Monday.

I don't know know how the jury can acquit without hearing from Chauvin. I was kinda looking forward to him getting eviscerated on the stand.

3rd degree 25
and 2nd degree manslaughter 10

Before the trial, I thought 2nd degree manslaughter was a slam dunk
Basically, oopsie my bad you're dead, it's what Daunte's killer is being charged with for 'mistaking' a gun for a taser

Having watched/listened to a majority of the trial...I think he's guilty of all 3...and I didn't hear a reasonable defense

the murder charges get into intent
2nd degree murder, the prosecution needs to prove Chauvin committed a felony i.e. a knee to the neck while a suspect is in custody
3rd degree murder, removes the felony aspect and the act just needs to be obviously dangerous
2nd degree manslaughter is negligence

Guilty on 2nd degree, based on the testimony that MPD does not train officers on the restraint used, and I believe there was explicit documentation in the trainin that forbids the knee on the neck

Guilty on 3rd degree, based on the precedent set in the officer Noor conviction

Guilty on 2nd degree manslaughter, based on the knee remaining on the neck after GF was dead

The defense has been entirely focused on cause...which basically concedes 2nd degree manslaughter
The defense failed to provide reasonable doubt, IMO, about the cause of death...so I believe the murder charges stick too

All the elements are there for every charge.

Even if you believe the high blood pressure, drug use, enlarged heart etc, the defense can't get passed the fact that if not for the excessive and unlawful force used by Chauvin, Floyd would still be alive today.

Social media is ONLY hurting at this point.

with Amber Guyger

and hoping something sticks.

It reminds me of the trope...if you have 2 QBs, you don’t have one...

The laundry list of attempted defenses was really confusing

Nelson started with the angry mob trope in his opening
Then we saw the footage of the bystanders at the curb...and he moved on...
The drugs...which are similar to dui levels
...for whatever reason (‘cism) the judge allowed GF’s 2019 arrest to be admitted into evidence...
GF was reportedly eating Percs like m&ms, had a +200BP, and he didn’t die...
The paraganglioma
The narrowing arteries
Carbon monoxide
...trying to remember if that’s all of them...
and then in closing, Nelson said GF died of a cardiac arrhythmia, which would be the result of cardiopulmonary arrest = that’s how everyone dies.

I didn’t watch every second...but it was difficult and confusing following the defense through all these hoops

IMO, the defense would have been better served supporting A theory
and he had it by claiming it wasn’t excessive force
That would have negated all 3 charges
If it wasn’t an illegal restraint...you never meet the threshold of assault

Obviously, $hitty case given the abundance of evidence

But I was left scratching my head on exactly what the defense was claiming killed GF
Sure, they can theorize 6 million ways to die...but they never chose 1

I can’t understand why Nelson leaned on the videos so heavily in his close
Everytime that footage is played, it strengthens the prosecution’s case

there. Hell, being confusing might have been part of his strategy.

Agreed on the heavy video in his closing, i woulda steered away.

bad timing dude... worst time to ask in fact

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-police-officer-michael-slager-who-shot-walter-scott-to-death-wants-sentence-vacated/

He is one of the few examples of someone actually going to jail for killing us and he wants to get out!!

even after everything was literally caught on video (like the chauvin case).

then he plead guilty in a civil rights violation case after striking an agreement to have any state murder charge thrown out.

that case might actually be worse than the chauvin case in terms of how incontrovertible the evidence or the cause of death was.

no possibility of carbon monoxide, drugs, etc. he fatally shot him in the back while he was running away and got caught lying about it and planting evidence for good measure.

and still...a jury never convicted him.

I don't know man. I can see this going either way.

Edit: Not a hung jury. So he's got to be guilty right? It's hard to believe 12 not guilty votes across the board that quick

>I don't know man. I can see this going either way.
>
>Edit: Not a hung jury. So he's got to be guilty right? It's

10 hours is pretty fast if they just reviewed the evidence.

This has to be guilty - but guilty of what?? 2nd degree?

I don't know if it would take longer to convict of one charge and acquit him of the two others. That would seem to be a more involved process. But who knows?

~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." � Jay Bilas
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
Hip Hop Handbook: http://tinyurl.com/ll4kzz

Some of the defense arguments were admissions of guilt

...for example...

I was so distracted by the crowd yelling at me to get off him and check a pulse...that I didn't follow proper procedure...and get off of him and check his pulse

IMO, the entire trial was an effort to avoid the murder charges

The lady that shot Daunte Wright was charged with 2nd degree manslaughter...which is basically...oopsie, my bad, you're dead

Basically, I made a mistake that resulted in the death of another

Same thing with the Carbon Monoxide poisoning fokery...who put GF's face next to the tailpipe?

He wasn't walking on that charge.

I'm hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

They CLEARLY didn't talk about all of the evidence (how could you in 4 hours?) and clearly HAD been talking about the case throughout that 9 months but you're right.

>and clearly HAD been talking about the case
>throughout that 9 months but you're right.

I think its pretty unreasonable to expect to put 12-16 people together for months, take away their connection to the outside world and tell them they cant talk about the very reason why they are together. lol

I cannot and will not watch.

The judge could in theory minimalize the time served for any guilty verdicts the jury could issue.

The hard-on for Shaun King is super weird, but also... can we just fucking exhale in this moment? JFC

I hate this fucking dumpster fire of a country so my expectations are virtually nonexistent.

>

But I’m relieved nonetheless. Hope he gets the max and that all the other racists and overzealous cops get a wake up call.

my expectations of us as a country remain pretty low, but I'm relieved that at least we didn't fuck this one up completely.

So many factors that led to this tragedy and so many things had to break right for a murderer to actually be tried and convicted. This is still unfortunately the outlier and not the rule when it comes to justice in our country. I'll take it for today, though.

>my expectations of us as a country remain pretty low, but I'm
>relieved that at least we didn't fuck this one up completely.
>
>So many factors that led to this tragedy and so many things
>had to break right for a murderer to actually be tried and
>convicted. This is still unfortunately the outlier and not
>the rule when it comes to justice in our country. I'll take
>it for today, though.

Indeed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2a8x8g-ELI

The fact that this song is as relevant as ever is sobering though.

I love that this joint is as scathing as anything else on the subject, while having a slight satirical feel to it. It's cathartic in that way, because it feels very lighthearted, and could almost be confused for satire because the whole thing is 'this little piggy went to market', but it's real as fuck.

This pig here is the chief
He's got a brother pig, Captain O'Malley
He's got a son that's a pig too,
He's collecting payoffs in a dark alley

That shit is gold, and that commentary still rings all too true today.

That was the first hip hop album I had access to
I wore that cassette the fuck out.

>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2a8x8g-ELI

Top 20 beat of all time

second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter

I get it, everyone is entitled to a defense, guilty until proven innocent, etc...

But some of the statements Nelson made will stick with me for a long, LONG time

I couldn’t help thinking the whole time...what a shitty job, I wonder where he fucked up in life

SMH

What a relief it’s over and the verdicts came back guilty

Now arrest the cops that killled breonna taylor.

>Now arrest the cops that killled breonna taylor.

...

We support frauds like BLM and these radical integrationist movements.

Man, I suppose I respect your optimism, but never in doubt? Can't say I ever felt that way.

once you got your own fellow officers testifying against you (remember, it's CRAZY rare that happens - usually they are testifying FOR you), let alone a bunch of other high ranking city officials and employees, it'd be more surprising (IMO) for the jury to NOT convict.

i totally understand the fatigue people have from officers walking away scott free, but this case was DEFINITELY different from almost every other that's ever hit the courts.

I believe there were only 4 members over 50 and maybe 50% were other than white. So I'd say the jury less invested in "how things ought to be" than it could've been.

The blue wall falling was huge but the jury certainly could've been deadlocked if even one juror had dug in their heels because they just couldn't fathom a black man being murdered by a police officer.

I still kinda held my breath until I read the verdict. Relieved it went the right way this time. The evidence and testimonies really were overwhelming.

this is America

A teen with 'a cell phone and sheer guts' is credited for Derek Chauvin's murder conviction

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/21/us/darnella-frazier-derek-chauvin-reaction/index.html

If not for Darnella Frazier's quick thinking, Derek Chauvin might still be a Minneapolis police officer.

Instead, Chauvin is behind bars, convicted of two counts of murder and one count of manslaughter after kneeling on George Floyd's neck for more than 9 minutes.

Now the teen who stood firm, capturing the longest and clearest bystander video of George Floyd's final moments, is overcome with emotion and praise after Chauvin's convictions Tuesday.
"I just cried so hard," Frazier posted on Facebook.

"I was so anxious ... But to know GUILTY ON ALL 3 CHARGES !!! THANK YOU GOD THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. George Floyd we did it!! justice has been served."
Frazier kept filming despite the agony of watching Floyd's life slip away.
"I heard George Floyd saying, 'I can't breathe, please, get off of me' ... and crying for his mom," Frazier testified in court. "He was in pain. It seemed like he knew it was over for him."
Floyd's aunt Angela Harrellson praised Frazier, who was a 17-year-old high school student when she captured the footage that proved to be damning in Chauvin's trial.

"The sad thing is if it hadn't been for that 17-year-old girl Darnella, it would have been another black man that was killed by the police ... and they would have said, 'Oh, it was drugs, oh it was this,'" Harrellson said.
"And we would never have had the story we would have. And wouldn't be here today talking."
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz publicly thanked Frazier.
"Taking that video, I think many folks know, is maybe the only reason that Derek Chauvin will go to prison," Walz said.
The impact of Frazier's video extended far beyond Chauvin's case. It led to the firing of three other officers at the scene, a ban on police chokeholds and a federal investigation. It also sparked a global racial justice movement.

"With nothing more than a cell phone and sheer guts, Darnella changed the course of history in this country, sparking a bold movement demanding an end to systemic anti-Black racism and violence at the hands of police," wrote Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, a nonprofit that works to defend and advance freedom of expression.
"Without Darnella's presence of mind and readiness to risk her own safety and wellbeing, we may never have known the truth about George Floyd's murder."
The video shot by a high school student "will go down in history," wrote the NAACP in North Carolina, the state where Floyd was born.

"Like the Abraham Zapruder film of the Assassination of President John Kennedy, the traditional police coverup was impossible," the North Carolina NAACP said in a statement. "No one, not even many of Chauvin's police colleagues, could argue against Ms. Frazier's film."
Oprah Winfrey joined the the countless Americans who thanked Frazier and the jury.
"I cried tears of joy when the verdict was read," Winfrey tweeted.
"I'm grateful to the witnesses and their testimonies. Grateful to Darnella Frazier. Grateful to every Juror for seeing and acknowledging what the world saw on that tape. Thank you God for real!"

Frazier, who is now 18, replied to the thousands of people who thanked her on Facebook.
"I can't reply to all of your beautiful comments as I wish to, but THANK YOU all of you," she wrote. "The support I had since day one carried me a long way so thank you again."
CNN's Adrienne Broaddus, Harmeet Kaur, Eric Levenson and Jamiel Lynch contributed to this report.

The MPD's initial statement about the murder was typically disgusting and typically devoid of just about all actual facts.

Then the video came and, oh shit.

Fuck the police and fuck this country.

other cops who will stand trial or enter a plea deal this summer or fall.

The level of "I hope they burn in hell" (c) Samuel L. Jackson cannot be understated IMO.

Not sure if it was here...but during the trial someone replied...ask him why he retired

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/maryland-medical-examiner-investigation-chavin-testimony/2021/04/23/61951580-a2ed-11eb-85fc-06664ff4489d_story.html

see Anton Black

“That woman made me cuss at my television”