Jury Selection Begins In George Floyd Murder Trial

Jury selection began on Tuesday in the high-profile trial of the white police officer accused of killing George Floyd, a Black man whose death was captured on video and sparked mass protests against racial injustice and police brutality in the United States and around the world.

Former Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin is facing second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in connection with Floyd’s May 25 death.

Jury selection had been scheduled to begin on Monday but was delayed for a day as prosecutors sought to reinstate a third-degree murder charge against the 44-year-old Chauvin.

Read also: Trial To Begin For US Policeman Charged With George Floyd’s Death

A court of appeals has not yet issued its ruling but Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill decided to go ahead with jury selection anyway.

Second-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison while the lesser charge of third-degree murder carries 25 years.

The jury selection process is expected to take about three weeks with opening arguments in the trial expected to begin around March 29.

Chauvin was dismissed from the police force after he was captured on video by a bystander with his knee on the neck of a pleading, gasping Floyd for nearly nine minutes.

Chauvin, who has been free on bail, appeared in court on Tuesday wearing a grey suit and a black face mask at a desk surrounded by plexiglass as a Covid-19 precaution.

He occasionally jotted down notes on a yellow legal pad.

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