It has been two weeks since the conviction of ex-police officer Derek Chauvin for the second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter of George Floyd. The world has moved on. Politicians breathed a sigh of relief when they heard the verdict; the media quickly moved on to its next manipulated data point in favor of the proposition that American police are systemically racist.
But there were always lingering questions about the verdict. The biggest question was whether Chauvin could have received a fair trial. Jury selection happened while the city of Minneapolis publicized a $27 million settlement with Floyd’s family. The judge denied requests for a venue change despite the fact that the trial would take place in a city that had been wracked with riots, looting and burning over Floyd’s death. One of the alternate jurors admitted, “I did not want to go through rioting and destruction again, and I was concerned about people coming to my house if they were not happy with the verdict.”
