Two more jurors were seated Wednesday in the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd, bringing the total to five, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, attorneys selected two men and a woman for the jury on Tuesday. Wednesday’s proceedings added two more men.
Also on Wednesday, the Minnesota Supreme Court said that it would not hear Chauvin’s request to review a lower court ruling that said Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill improperly dismissed a third-degree murder charge against him.
Cahill announced the high court’s decision Wednesday afternoon and said he would speak about it Thursday morning, according to the Star Tribune.
One of the new jurors told attorneys and the judge he was not concerned about being on a jury during the pandemic or bothered by the security, but said he was concerned that the trial — expected to take most of April — would affect his May 1 wedding day.
“If I am part of this jury, then I will not be getting married on that date,” he said, adding, “That is me answering, not my fiancée.”
The second juror chosen on Wednesday was an immigrant who came to Nebraska 14 years ago for school and moved to Minnesota in 2012. He told the court he felt it was his civic duty to serve and pledged to “follow the law” although he initially formed a negative impression of Chauvin after seeing part of the video of Floyd’s arrest.
Several potential jurors were dismissed, including an civil litigation attorney, a church leader, and a woman who said the video left her wanting “to know more to have a firm opinion.”
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter in the May 25 killing of Floyd, who died after the officer knelt on his neck for more than 9 minutes.
Jury selection continues Thursday to seat seven more jurors and two alternates.
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[Featured image: Derek Chauvin/Hennepin County jail; George Floyd; Facebook]
