Jury Selection Postponed in Chauvin Trial as Potential 3rd-Degree Murder Charge Still in Question
https://www.theroot.com/jury-selection-postponed-in-derek-chauvin-trial-as-pote-1846429899
Jury selection in the murder trial against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin did not go through as planned on Monday, as prosecutors and the defense continue to battle over whether an additional charge of third-degree murder should be added to the case against Chauvin.
Chauvin, who was seen in a viral video in May of last year kneeling on 46-year-old George Floyds neck for more than eight minutes as the man cried out that he couldnt breathe, is already facing charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter in Floyds death in Hennepin County, Minn.
But the start of jury selection, which was supposed to begin on Monday morning, has been put off until at least Tuesday, reports the Star Tribune. At issue is whether jurors can start being selected for the trial while the question of whether Chauvin will be charged with third-degree murder is still up in the air.
As The Root previously reported, Chauvin had initially agreed to plead guilty to third-degree murder last year on the condition that he would not face federal civil rights charges in Floyds death, but former Attorney General William Barr apparently rejected that deal.
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