SECOND DEGREE MANSLAUGHTER IN
THE MAY 2020 DEATH OF GEORGE
FLOYD.
LET’S GO LIVE TO CRAIG MELVIN IN
MINNEAPOLIS.
CRAIG, IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE
YOU, BUT ON A DAY LIKE THIS,
YOU’VE GOT A LOT TO COVER.
WHAT IS EXPECTED WHEN THE JUDGE
GAVELS IN TODAY?
>> STEPH, A FEW THINGS.
CLOSING ARGUMENTS WILL HAPPEN,
WE’RE TOLD, IN VERY SHORT ORDER
AFTER THE JUDGE CAHILL RESUMES
SESSION HERE AT THE TOP OF THE
HOUR, EXCUSE ME, 10:00 LOCAL.
IT’S GOING TO BE VERY
INTERESTING BECAUSE WHAT WE HAVE
BEEN TOLD SO FAR, WE’LL GET TWO
LAWYERS FOR THE PROSECUTION.
YOU WILL HAVE STEVE SCHLESSER,
ONE OF THE LEAD ATTORNEYS FOR
THE PROSECUTION, HE WILL PRESENT
CLOSING ARGUMENTS SOMEWHERE
BETWEEN AN HOUR, HOUR AND A
HALF.
AND THE DEFENSE WILL PRESENT,
WE’RE TOLD, GUIDANCE WE’RE
GETTING IS SOMEWHERE IN THE SAME
NEIGHBORHOOD, SOMEWHERE AROUND
AN HOUR.
AFTER THAT, WE’LL GET A
REBUTTAL.
THAT REBUTTAL WILL COME FROM
JERRY BLACKWELL.
JERRY BLACKWELL, KNOWN TO FOLKS
HERE IN THE MINNEAPOLIS AREA AS
JOHNNIE COCHRAN OF THE MIDWEST,
HOW HE WAS INITIALLY DESCRIBED.
THE BLACK ATTORNEY YOU HAVE SEEN
A LOT OF DURING THE TRIAL.
IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE
PROSECUTION BLACKWELL BE THE
LAST VOICE THEY HEAR BEFORE THEY
START THEIR DELIBERATIONS.
THEY WILL GET SOME JURY
INSTRUCTIONS, ALTHOUGH THEY’VE
BEEN GIVEN SOME AND SOME HAVE
BEEN DECIDED UPON IN A
CLOSED-DOOR HEARING LAST WEEK.
WE’RE TOLD BY LEGAL EXPERTS HERE
IN HEN AMIN COUNTY THE JUDGE
COULD PROVIDE SOME OF THOSE
BEFORE THE CLOSING AND A FEW
MORE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE THEY
START THEIR DELIBERATIONS.
THE EXPECTATION HERE, STEPH,
THEY WILL GET THIS CASE IN THE
EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS.
I SPENT SOME TIME LAST HOUR
TALKING TO A LEGAL EXPERT HERE
IN HENNEPIN COUNTY WHO SAID SHE
DOES NOT EXPECT THIS IS GOING TO
BE ONE OF THOSE CASES THAT
JURORS ARE DELIBERATING OVER FOR
DAYS OR WEEKS.
THERE’S AN EXPECTATION ON THE
GROUND OF LEGAL EXPERTS THIS
WILL BE A MATTER OF DAYS.
>> AND YOU’RE ON THE GROUND,
CRAIG.
YOU’VE BEEN THERE BEFORE.
YOU WERE THERE IMMEDIATELY AFTER
GEORGE FLOYD’S DEATH, DURING THE
PROTESTS AND YOU WERE THERE
DURING THE FUNERAL.
TALK TO US ABOUT THIS MOMENT
NOW.
>> THIS IS ABOUT SO MUCH MORE
THAN JUST THE TRIAL OF DEREK
CHAUVIN, OR NOT JUST FOLKS HERE
IN MINNEAPOLIS, NOT JUST FOLKS
HERE IN MINNESOTA AROUND THE
COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD.
WE SPENT A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME
IN THE LAST YEAR TALKING ABOUT
WHAT GEORGE FLOYD’S DEATH LED
TO, THE RACIAL RECKONING.
THIS IS A TRIAL THAT IS
ESSENTIALLY FOR A LOT OF FOLKS,
I DON’T WANT TO SAY INDICTMENT
BECAUSE THAT PROBABLIPY PROBABLY
IT JUSTICE BUT PART OF THE
RECKONING THAT THE TRIAL LED TO.
IT WILL BE VERY INTERESTING TO
SEE WHAT THE REACTION OF THE
VERDICT WILL BE AS WE’VE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT THE LAST COUPLE
DAYS, PREPARATIONS UNDER WAY,
NOT JUST HERE IN MINNEAPOLIS,
BUT CITIES LIKE NEW YORK AND
PHILADELPHIA, OFFICERS TOLD DAYS
OFF HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED.
THERE’S CONCERN A NOT GUILTY
VERDICT WILL LEAD TO VIOLENCE
AND UNREST.
THERE’S ALSO CONCERN THAT A
GUILTY VERDICT COULD VERY WELL
LEAD TO THE SAME.
SO IT’S GOING TO BE VERY
INTERESTING TO SEE HOW IT PLAYS
OUT OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS NOT
JUST HERE IN MINNEAPOLIS BUT
OVER THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA.
>> CAN I ASK HOW YOU FEEL,
CRAIG?
>> SURE.
YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, IT’S
HARD TO BELIEVE, STEPH, IT’S
BEEN 11 MONTHS.
TRIALS HERE IN HENNEPIN COUNTY
TRIALS DON’T HAPPEN AS QUICKLY
AS THIS ONE HAS.
AND FOR SOMEONE WHO’S BEEN
COVERING IT FROM THE BEGINNING
TO YOUR POINT, I’M ANXIOUS.
ANXIOUS ABOUT A VERDICT, ANXIOUS
ABOUT REACTION TO THAT VERDICT.
SO, YEAH, THAT’S SORT OF HOW I
FEEL.
BUT I THINK FOR A LOT OF FOLKS
IN THE WAKE OF GEORGE FLOYD’S
DEATH AS A JOURNALIST, IT FORCED
ME TO TAKE A LOOK AT HOW I HAVE
BEEN CONDUCTING MYSELF
PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY.
I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE BEEN
DOING THE SAME THING OVER THE
PAST 11 MONTHS.
AFTER THE VERDICT, THAT DOESN’T
GO AWAY.
I THINK REGARDLESS OF THE
VERDICT, I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS