United States: George Floyd murder trial jury is formed, trial can begin
Jurors in Derek Chauvin's trial have been chosen, but protesters continue to press for justice for George Floyd.
Here, near the Minnesota Capitol, in Saint Paul on March 19, 2021. AFP - KEREM YUCEL
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4 min
Jury selection in the trial of the murder of African-American George Floyd concluded Tuesday, March 24 in Minneapolis Substantive proceedings will begin Monday, March 29, with the appearance of Derek Chauvin, the police officer who remained kneeling on the The African American's neck for nearly nine minutes and caused his death in May 2020. Twelve people will have to rule on his guilt and the choice of these jurors was not easy.
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With our correspondent in Washington,
Anne Corpet
A retired black grandmother, a nurse and two white single mothers, two immigrants, two mixed-race people: the fifteen people selected to compose the jury for this historic trial reflect the diversity of America.
They were selected from a hundred people drawn at random, after two weeks of a meticulous process.
All the jurors ultimately chosen said they had seen clips of the video of
Georges Floyd's death
on May 25, 2020 which sparked
a wave of protest across the country for weeks
.
But their opinion on the case was sufficiently nuanced and all said they were capable of rendering a “
fair and impartial
” decision.
Twelve jurors will
ultimately
pronounce
on
the guilt of the police officer
and will have to render their decision unanimously.
The other three people selected are substitutes, provided for in the event of default by one of the incumbents.
Trial for justice
The substantive debates, which will be closely scrutinized in the United States, are expected to last three or four weeks.
The jurors will then retire to deliberate on the three counts of indictment, including murder and manslaughter.
In the United States,
prosecutions of police officers for violence
committed in the line of duty are very rare and convictions even rarer.
This trial is therefore seen as a test for American justice after the immense mobilization against racism and police violence, which followed the death of George Floyd.
Difficulty of an impartial jury
In this context, the
choice of impartial jurors was a challenge
.
For two weeks, a hundred citizens drawn by lot were subjected to a rolling fire of questions, on the 18th floor of a tower closed to the public and surrounded by exceptional security measures.
Despite the presence of cameras in the courtroom, their anonymity was preserved.
Released on bail,
Derek Chauvin
followed the discussions with attention, conscientiously taking notes and exchanging frequently aside with his lawyer Eric Nelson.
Some potential jurors have asked to be excluded, overwhelmed by the high stakes or for personal reasons.
Others assumed they had already formed their opinion, and were immediately dismissed.
Eric Nelson and prosecutor Steve Schleicher then tried to flush out their hidden prejudices.
Among the questions: What do you think of the police?
Major events of the summer?
From the Black Lives Matter movement
?
The interrogation has often taken on political overtones and the strong opinions - "
the police are all corrupt
" or the violence against black suspects "
is all politicized
" - have earned the perpetrators a dismissal.
►
See also:
United States: George Floyd's family obtains $ 27 million in damages
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