IT'S NOT A VERY NICE DAY.
THIS IS ALL TRADING OFF WITH A
TOMORROW.
WE WILL TALK ABOUT THAT AND A
QUIETER STRETCH OF WHETHER IN
THE NEXT FEW MINUTES.
THIS MORNING SHOWING A MAJORITY
OF AMERICANS BOTH BLACK AND
WHITE SHARE THE VIEW THAT THE
JURY IN THE DEREK CHAUVIN TRIAL
REACHED THE RIGHT VERDICT.
A NEW POLL SHOWS THAT 70% IS --
AND 90% OF BLACK PEOPLE THINK
IT IS THE RIGHT DECISION.
DEREK CHAUVIN'S SENTENCING DATE
HAS BEEN SET FOR JUNE 16th.
HE FACES A MAXIMUM OF 40 YEARS
IN PRISON.
POLICE OFFICER HAS BEEN
CONVICTED OF MURDERING SOMEONE
IN MINNESOTA.
IT IS BEING HAILED AS THE
THROUGH RECKONING OF THE
DECLARATION.
TOGETHER A COMPELLING AND
MOVING NARRATIVE OF GEORGE
FLOYD'S MURDER, A NARRATIVE
THAT THE JURY ACCEPTED FULLY,
DELIVERING THREE GUILTY
VERDICTS.
AHEAD, WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE
KEITH ELLISON JOIN US RIGHT
NOW.
ON.
IT'S GOOD TO BE HERE, AS
MAY.
ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10, HOW
VERDICT COMING BACK THE WAY YOU
FOUGHT FOR?
I FELT IT SHOULD HAPPEN AS
IT DID.
I THOUGHT, BUT I WASN'T SURE
UNTIL HE HEARD JUDGE CAHILL
READ THE VERDICT.
I KNEW THINGS COULD GO IN AN
UNEXPECTED DIRECTION.
THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE
WHO DOUBTED THE VERDICT,
PARTICULARLY PEOPLE OF COLOR
AND YOUR OWN PROSECUTION CHAIN.
YOU ASKED FOR DELAYS AND FILED
FOR COVENS -- COVID EXTENSIONS.
WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE HAD
DOUBTS?
THE REASON I FILED FOR
DELAYS WAS BECAUSE AS THE
PERSON WHO IS SUPPOSED TO
COULD NOT BE NOT TRYING TO GET
PEOPLE TO COMPLY WITH COVID
RESTRICTIONS.
THAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THAT.
THE REAL REASON PEOPLE HAD
THEIR DOUBTS WAS BECAUSE
BREONNA TAYLOR, NO ACTION AT
REMEMBER THAT, THE JURY WENT TO
SIMI VALLEY, NOT GUILTY,
FEDERAL ACTION.
WALTER SCOTT, MORE RECENTLY.
IT TOOK 40 YEARS FOR THE MU
LAQUAN McDONALD -- THE PERSON
AND EVEN THE ONES WHO AIDED AND
ABETTED HIM WALKED AWAY FROM
THAT.
THERE HAS BEEN A HISTORY OF
UNACCOUNTABILITY. AND WE ARE
OPERATING ON THAT.
WHAT IS THE FIRST THING THAT
WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU
HEARD THE FIRST GUILTY VERDICT,
THEN THE NEXT?
SURPRISINGLY, I DIDN'T FEEL
I FELT RELIEF.
I FELT THAT THIS WAS THE RIGHT
THING.
BUT I ALSO FELT, YOU KNOW, I
FELT A CERTAIN SENSE OF
HUMILITY.
I FELT I WAS IN GRATITUDE TO
THE JURY, THE WITNESSES, ALL
THE PEOPLE WHO STEPPED UP ON
THAT FATEFUL DAY ON MAY 25th,
AND SAID WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS
WRONG, NONE OF THEM KNEW GEORGE
FLOYD.
ALL OF THEM CAME TO TESTIFY.
I FEEL GRATEFUL TO THEM, YOU
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO
DON'T WANT TO BE ALL OVER THE
NEWS, RIGHT?
AND THEY WANTED THEIR PRIVACY,
YET, THEY STEPPED UP AND TOLD
THE TRUTH.
YOU PUT TOGETHER A
PROSECUTION TEAM OF REAL
SUPERSTARS.
STEVE SLUSHER WAS THE MAN WHO
PROSECUTED THE MURDER OF JACOB
WETTERLING.
JERRY BLACKWELL, HE WAS A CIVIL
ATTORNEY.
HE HAS NEVER DONE A CRIMINAL
CASE BEFORE.
THE WHOLE TEAM, ALL OF THEM
TOGETHER, THOSE TWO WERE JUST
AND THEY DID THIS PRO BONO.
THAT'S RIGHT.
YOU ASKED THEM TO DO IT.
I MEAN, THAT'S A REMARKABLE
SKILL.
I KNEW WE NEEDED A TEAM THAT
COULD DO IT.
STEVE AND JERRY WERE
PHENOMENAL.
NO DOUBT, WE ARE GRATEFUL TO
THEM.
THEY ARE TWO LAWYERS WHO HAVE
DONE WELL BECAUSE THEY ARE GOOD
AT WHAT THEY DO, BUT THEY ALSO
KNOW THERE IS MORE TO THIS LIFE
THAN MAKING MONEY, THERE'S MORE
TO BEING A LAWYER THAN MAKING
SOCIETY, AND THEY TAKE THAT
SERIOUSLY.
ALSO, MY OWN STAFF, NOT FRANK,
PHENOMENAL JOB.
HE TOOK WITNESSES AND DID A
GREAT JOB.
WE HAD TWO YOUNG STAFFERS AT
OUR OFFICE WHO DIDN'T STAND UP
IN COURT, BUT WHAT THEY DID DO
IS DRAFT IT OUT LINES FOR CROSS-
EXAMINATION RESEARCH, AND THEN,
LOLA VELASQUEZ, A WONDERFUL
LAWYER, YOU KNOW, WHO DID NOT
TESTIFY, BUT REALLY WORKED UP
THE MEDICAL CASE.
YOU WERE THERE EVERY SINGLE
DAY IN THE COURTROOM.
A LOT OF PEOPLE MIGHT NOT HAVE
SEEN THAT ON THE WIDER SHOT.
A LOT OF THINGS PEOPLE HAVE
ABOUT GOING INTO THIS IS, TV.
YOU, SIR, AND YOUR OFFICE WERE
AGAINST TELEVISION AND CAMERAS.
FROM WHAT I HAVE HEARD,
EVERYONE I TALKED TO SAID THEY
ABLE TO SEE THIS.
HAS YOUR VIEW OF CAMERAS IN THE
COURTROOM CHANGED?
YEAH, THINGS LIKE BETTER
THAN I THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING
TO.
I THOUGHT IT WOULD ALTER THE
WAY THE LAWYERS HANDLED THE
CASE AND THE EVIDENCE.
I WAS GRATEFUL THAT JUDGE
CAHILL ALLOWED JUVENILE
WITNESSES TO NOT BE ON CAMERA.
THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME.
I THOUGHT FOLKS WOULDN'T WANT
TO SHOW UP IF THEY THOUGHT
THEY'D HAVE THEIR PRIVACY
OBLITERATED BY BEING ON
INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION.
I KNOW ONE OF THE REPORTERS
HEARD YOU ON THURSDAY BEFORE --
THEY TOOK FRIDAY OFF, THEN THEY
HAVE CLOSING ARGUMENTS ON
MONDAY.
THEY HEARD YOU SAY THAT YOU
WISHED IT COULD HAVE GONE RIGHT
TO THE JURY.
DAYS BECAUSE OF ALL THAT
HAPPENED.
IS THAT WHY?
I WAS WORRIED ABOUT PEOPLE
GETTING COVID.
I WAS WORRIED ABOUT CIVIL
UNREST.
I WAS WORRIED ABOUT PEOPLE
GETTING SICK.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE THE JURY
WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A WONDERFUL
JURY, AND A VERY THOUGHTFUL AND
DIVERSE JURY.
I JUST WORRY THAT TIME MIGHT
NOT WORK IN OUR FAVOR.
WHEN YOU FIRST HEARD ABOUT
THE DAUNTE WRIGHT CASE
HAPPENING IN THE MIDDLE OF
THIS, WHAT WENT THROUGH YOUR
MIND?
HEARTBREAK FOR THAT FAMILY,
A 17-YEAR-OLD KID, YOU KNOW,
LOST FOREVER.
A FATHER AT 20, HIS CHILD WON'T
GROW UP WITH HIS DAD.
HE IS A FATHER.
YEAH, THEY LOST THEIR SON.
SO I WAS REALLY, REALLY HIT BY
THAT.
WERE YOU CONCERNED -- YOU
HAD TO BE -- THAT THIS WOULD
DERAIL THE CASE?
YEAH, I WAS.
DIRECTION SERIOUSLY.
THE JUDGE SAID, STAY AWAY FROM
THE MEDIA, SO THEY DID.
THEY KEPT THEIR FOCUS ON THE
TASK AT HAND AND FOLLOW THE
INSTRUCTIONS OF THE COURT.
I THINK IT WORKED OUT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
PEOPLE ARE SAYING IS THERE ARE
PEOPLE WITH IMMUNITY WHO WOULD
LIKE YOU TO PROSECUTE THE CASE,
THE DAUNTE WRIGHT CASE.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY TO
THAT?
WELL, LET ME SAY, PETE IS AN
EXCELLENT PROSECUTOR.
THE CASE IS IN HIS HANDS.
AND I ASK PEOPLE TO TRUST HIM
AND GIVE HIM A CHANCE.
THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT
APPEALS, AND SOMEONE YOU KNOW
WHO SERVED IN CONGRESS, MAXINE
WATERS GETTING MORE
CONFRONTATIONAL, THE JUDGE KIND
OF GAVE IT A NOD TO SAY, HEY,
THAT COULD LEAD TO SOMETHING
BEING OVERTURNED.
WHAT IS YOUR OPINION?
I DOUBT THAT.
WE HAVE THE FIRST AMENDMENT,
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.
HAS A RECORD OF PROTEST AND
DEMONSTRATION AND STANDING UP
FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES, AND
SHE IS BEING THE SAME PERSON
SHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN.
I THINK THE JURY KNEW NOT TO BE
WHAT EVIDENCE CAME TO THE
WITNESS STAND.
SO I THINK IT'S ONE OF THOSE
THINGS THAT HAPPENED.
I NEVER THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO
ACTUALLY INFLUENCE THE JURY,
BUT IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS
WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH IN THE
COURSE OF THE CASE.
AND YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER
TRIAL.
THE FORMER OFFICERS WHO WERE
INVOLVED STAND TRIAL TOGETHER
IN AUGUST.
I GOT TO TELL YOU, THEIR NAMES
DID NOT COME UP A LOT IN THE
TESTIMONY RELATIVELY SPEAKING.
WILL, THEY ARE PRESUMED
INNOCENT.
THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO A TRIAL,
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE I DON'T
SAY ANYTHING THAT MIGHT IN ANY
WAY INFLUENCE ANY JURORS.
THEY ARE PRESUMED INNOCENT, AND
WE WILL HANDLE THAT IN DUE
COURSE.
IN TERMS OF WHAT IS NEXT,
OBVIOUSLY, YOU HAVE THE
UPCOMING TRIAL.
YOU HAVE SENTENCING.
SENTENCING?
I KNOW YOU HAVE ALREADY ASKED
FOR UPWARD DEPARTURE, THERE
WERE CHILDREN PRESENT, IN
PARTICULAR CRUELTY, THE ABUSE
OF POWER, DO YOU HAVE A
SPECIFIC NUMBER THAT YOU'RE
GOING TO ASK THE JUDGE FOR?
NOTHING THAT I AM IN A
THE GUIDELINE SENTENCE IS 150
MONTHS.
THAT IS THE GUIDELINE SENTENCE
EVEN THOUGH THE STATUTORY
MAXIMUM IS 40, THAT IS RARE.
OR MAYBE NEVER HAPPENS.
SO, THAT'S THE GUIDELINE
SENTENCE.
WE DON'T SEEK REVENGE, WE DON'T
SEEK ANYTHING.
WE SEEK A FAIR SENTENCE.
WE WILL MAKE THE APPEARANCE IN
COURT.
IN TERMS OF WHAT HAPPENS
NEXT, YOU WALKED IN WITH
SENATOR BOBBY JOE CHAMPION, AND
THE FIRST THING YOU SAID IT IS,
HEY, I'VE GOT A STORY FOR YOU.
THEY ARE PUSHING POLICE REFORM
AT THE SENATE, NOT TAKING
GLORY, BUT LOOKING AT THAT.
REALISTICALLY, HOW BAD IS THAT
REFORM NEEDED?
THEY JUST PASSED A REFORM BILL
LAST JUNE.
WELL, YOU KNOW, THESE ISSUES
OF POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS
HAVING A VERITY -- VERY
NEGATIVE EFFECT ON SOCIETY
CAUSING CIVIL UNREST, IT GOES
BACK TO THE YEAR 1919 IN
CHICAGO.
THAT WAS THE FIRST, YOU KNOW,
POLICE COMMUNITY CONFLAGRATION
THAT RESULTED IN A REPORT, IN A
THIS ISSUE, AND IT GOES TO 1935
IN HARLEM, 1943, DETROIT,
WATTS, ALL OF THAT.
THERE IS A LONG HISTORY OF ALL
OF THIS.
AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SOLVE
IT JUST BY ONE SESSION OF
BILLS.
THIS IS A SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION
THAT HAS TO HAPPEN.
AS GLAD AS I AM OF THE OUTCOME
WE NEED LEGISLATORS IN CONGRESS
AND STATE LEGISLATURES, AND
THAT THE CITY COUNCIL LEVEL TO
CONTINUE THE PROCESS OF REFORM
TO MAKE SURE THAT THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE
CITIZENS AND THE POLICE
TRUSTING ONE, AND ONE THAT IS
MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL.
HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO TAKE
STOCK OF YOUR ROLE IN HISTORY?
THIS WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR
GENERATIONS.
IT'S ALREADY BEING VIEWED AS A
SEMINAL CASE.
YOU LEAD IT.
YOUR THOUGHTS?
I HAVEN'T REALLY WEIGHED
THAT YET.
I DON'T KNOW.
I JUST DID WHAT I THOUGHT WAS
RESPONSIBLE FOR ME TO DO, YOU
KNOW?
WHEN THE GOVERNOR AND MIKE
I SAID YES BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT
WAS IMPORTANT.
IF YOU CAN HELP, YOU SHOULD
HELP.
AND I STEPPED UP TO HELP.
AND WE DID THE BEST WE COULD.
I GUESS WE WILL START.
HISTORICALLY, IN THE DAYS TO
COME.
ALL RIGHT, KEITH ELLISON,
ATTORNEY GENERAL,
CONGRATULATIONS.
INTERVIEW, TONIGHT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REALLY
COMING IN, REALLY, A REMARKABLE
JOB.
THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO
DID NOT THINK, INCLUDING MANY
WHO WERE OUT THERE CELEBRATING,
DID NOT THINK YOU WOULD BE ABLE