Larry Windrow
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One hundred people have already been sent to the grill under the watchful eye of the accused, white policeman Derek Suev, in Minneapolis on May 25, with a black forty-something knee-length neck.
Only fourteen people believed the case and defense could set aside their views on the case, which sparked massive protests across the country and beyond. Twelve will serve as jurors and two as substitutes.
To avoid any recall, Judge Peter Cahill wants to make an additional substitution. Therefore, the parties will meet on Tuesday in the hope of finding the missing juror, before opening a substantial debate next Monday for a verdict in late April or early May.
The people selected so far include the diverse population of Minneapolis in the north of the United States: eight whites, four blacks (including two immigrants) and two mixed races. Women make up the majority (9 out of 14).
These citizens will not be identified until granted by judgment, using a variety of occupations (chemist, nurse, computer scientist, etc.). Their marital status (married, divorced, widowed, single) varies with their age.
“Stomach knot”
Others were dismissed based on their answers to a questionnaire – related to the records of accused, anti-racist protesters or police – or during a close hearing in the courtroom.
In this case, some were afraid for their own safety, for their own reasons, or simply asked to leave the tension.
Others did not hide their dependence – “I have a knot in my stomach” at the thought of being released; “I want to be guilty” – was immediately challenged.
Most of those interviewed vowed to be neutral, but their friendship with the police, their participation in the demonstrations or vague comments about the accused or victim led them to withdraw.
The two judges who executed the first filter were finally acquitted following an agreement between Minneapolis Townhall and George Floyd’s family, who will be awarded $ 27 million in compensation for his death.
“It sends the message that the city of Minneapolis feels that something terrible has happened,” one of them commented, acknowledging that this would affect his decision.
Following the deal, Derek Zhou’s lawyer again asked the judge to divert the hearing or adjourn it. “I do not believe there is a single location throughout the state of Minnesota that has not been exposed to the serious media of this file,” Peter Cahill said in a statement.
“It could have been me”
In fact, with one exception, all of the selected judges admitted to having seen parts of a passage filmed or the entire video of an African American experiment.
“I could not see it in its entirety, it bothered me so much,” admitted a white fifty. “It could have been me,” said a French-speaking black immigrant.
But everyone expressed mixed opinions. “The police make all kinds of decisions. Good and bad, some thoughtful, others reflexive, ”said an African-American grandmother.
George Floyd, who passively opposed his arrest, added a white forty saying “I am not entirely innocent” but “I do not think he deserves to die.”
Opportunity for news and example of this subtle stage: The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear the death sentence imposed on one of the perpetrators of the Boston Marathon attack, overturning abuses in the selection of the arbitral tribunal.
The Court of Appeals ruled that Johor Sarne’s lawyers should allow potential judges to question what they learned in the media about the bombing that killed three people in 2013.
Laurence Malcom
