Derek Chauvin is found guilty of murdering George Floyd.
GUILTY!
These guilty verdicts are the bare minimum toward making Chauvin culpable for Floyd's murder. I'm relieved he was found guilty, even though we all KNOW Chauvin is the reason why George Floyd isn't alive.
Let's use this moment as a springboard toward real and actual change in this obviously white supremacist organization known as policing in America.
The presiding judge, Peter Cahill, said yesterday, in response to the prejudicial remarks of US Representative Maxine Waters "
I'll give you that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result on this whole trial being overturned," (I think he meant to say result
in, and not
on).
Judge blasts U.S. Rep Maxine Waters for 'abhorrent' comments about Chauvin trial | Reuters
"I'm aware that Congresswoman Waters was talking specifically about this trial, and about the unacceptability of anything less than a murder conviction, and talk about being 'confrontational,' "
"I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case, especially in a manner that's disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch and our function, [...] Their failure to do so is abhorrent."
Joe Biden also made prejudicial public remarks today ahead of the verdict, saying that he prayed jurors would return the "right" verdict, and implying heavily that he meant a guilty verdict. Certainly that is the politically convenient verdict.
I watched a bit of the trial and especially the closing arguments of both prosecution and defence. Although I did not hear all the evidence like the actual jury, my opinion is that Chauvin is guilty on the balance of probabilities, but not beyond reasonable doubt. The jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict, and anything less was politically unacceptable, so they did their duty to their country in that sense. There should not be so much public emotion bound up in a single case, as it prejudices the verdict and prevents a fair trial.
In Britain, it is illegal to publicly broadcast remarks during a trial such as were made by Maxine Waters and Joe Biden. This is considered to be contempt of court in this country.