NOW AN MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST,
MICHAEL STEELE.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU WITH US,
MICHAEL.
WE’RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH THE
CASE AGAINST FORMER MINNEAPOLIS
POLICE OFFICER DEREK CHAUVIN FOR
THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD.
NOW IN THE HANDS OF A
SEQUESTERED JURY.
THE PANEL OF SIX WHITE AND SIX
BLACK WERE MULTI-RACIAL JURORS
BEGAN DELIBERATING AT 4:00
CENTRAL TIME YESTERDAY AND ENDED
THE DAY WITHOUT A VERDICT
FOLLOWING HOURS OF CLOSING AND
REBUTTAL ARGUMENTS.
>> WHAT THE DEFENDANT DID TO
GEORGE FLOYD KILLED HIM.
MAKE NO MISTAKE.
THIS IS NOT A PROSECUTION OF THE
POLICE.
IT IS A PROSECUTION OF THE
DEFENDANT.
AND THERE’S NOTHING WORSE FOR
GOOD POLICE THAN A BAD POLICE,
WHO DOESN’T FOLLOW THE RULES.
WHO DOESN’T FOLLOW PROCEDURE,
WHO DOESN’T FOLLOW TRAINING.
HE CALLED OUT TO GEORGE FLOYD,
HE SAID, YOU CAN’T WIN.
AND GEORGE FLOYD REPLIED, I’M
NOT TRYING TO WIN.
I’M NOT TRYING TO WIN.
I’M SCARED.
BUT THE DEFENDANT WAS -- THE
DEFENDANT WAS TRYING TO WIN HE
WASN’T GOING TO BE TOLD WHAT TO
DO.
HE WASN’T GOING TO TAKE A
CHALLENGE TO HIS AUTHORITY.
HE WAS TRYING TO WIN.
AND GEORGE FLOYD PAID FOR IT
WITH HIS LIFE.
>> I SUBMIT TO YOU THAT THE
STATE HAS FAILED TO MEET ITS
BURDEN OF PROOF BEYOND A
REASONABLE OF DOUBT.
YOU HAVE TO BE CONVINCED THAT
THE DEFENDANT’S ACTIONS CAUSED
THE DEATH OF MR. FLOYD.
ACTIONS THAT HAPPENED BEFORE MR.
FLOYD WAS ARRESTED THAT HAVE
NOTHING TO DO WITH OFFICER
CHAUVIN’S ACTIVITIES ARE NOT THE
NATURAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE
DEFENDANT’S ACTIONS.
WERE THERE OTHER CONTRIBUTING
FACTORS THAT WERE NOT THE
NATURAL RESULT OF MR. CHAUVIN’S
ACTS?
THE DRUG INGESTION, RIGHT?
THE BAD HEART, THE DISEASED
HEART
HEART, THE HYPERTENSION.
ALL OF THESE THINGS EXISTED
BEFORE MR. CHAUVIN ARRIVED.
>> YOU WERE TOLD, FOR EXAMPLE
THAT MR. FLOYD DIED BECAUSE HIS
HEART WAS TOO BIG.
YOU HEARD THAT TESTIMONY.
AND NOW HAVING SEEN ALL OF THE
EVIDENCE, HAVING HEARD ALL OF
THE EVIDENCE, YOU KNOW THE
TRUTH.
AND THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS,
THAT THE REASON GEORGE FLOYD IS
DEAD IS BECAUSE MR. CHAUVIN’S
HEART WAS TOO SMALL.
>> WILLIE, AGAIN, YOU NEVER KNOW
WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN THE
JURIES GO IN AND BEGIN
DELIBERATING.
NEVER, FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN
THROUGH THAT PROCESS, MANY COME
OUT OF THE JURY ROOM, IN THAT
EXPERIENCE, A BIT SHAKEN AT
TIMES BY ALL THAT’S TAKEN IN
THERE.
ALL THE PREJUDICES, ALL THE
ASSUMPTIONS WITH NO BASIS IN
LAW.
THAT IS THE SYSTEM.
IF YOU HAVE A JURY OF 12 PEOPLE.
THAT MAY HAPPEN.
ALL OF THAT SAID, YESTERDAY
SEEMED AS STRAIGHTFORWARD AS
THIS ENTIRE CASE HAS BEEN.
IT WAS, THE DEFENSE WAS
SCRAMBLING, TRYING TO BLAME
EVERYBODY AND EVERYTHING AND
EVEN THE JUDGE AT THE END, WHEN HE GAVE THEM JURY INSTRUCTIONS
HE GAVE THEM JURY INSTRUCTIONS
SAID, BASICALLY, SAID MR.
CHAUVIN, HE OWNED WHAT HAPPENED
TO THIS PERSON REGARDLESS OF HOW
HE FOUND HIM.
THE FACT THAT OTHER CAUSES
RELATED TO HIS DEATH DOES NOT
RELIEVE THE DEFENDANT OF
CRIMINAL LIABILITY.
WHICH IS A VERY IMPORTANT JURY
INSTRUCTION.
>> IT IS, FOR SURE.
AND WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE
DEFENSE YESTERDAY IS WHAT WE’VE
HEARD THROUGHOUT THIS TRIAL,
WHICH IS THE ANCILLARY FACTORS,
TALKING ABOUT CARBON MONOXIDE
POISONING.
THAT WAS SHOT DOWN BY AN EXPERT.
TALKING ABOUT THE DRUGS IN MR.
FLOYD’S SYSTEM.
TALKING ABOUT THE CROWD THAT
SURROUNDED THE OFFICER AND
GEORGE FLOYD AS BEING
THREATENING, SOMEHOW.
THAT THE PROSECUTION CAME OUT
AND SAID, HERE’S A PICTURE OF
THE CROWD.
YOU TELL ME IF YOU THINK THIS
GROUP OF PEOPLE IS THREATENING
OR IF THEY’RE CONCERNED THAT A
MAN IS BEING KILLED.
AND WE HEARD WHAT’S UNIQUE ABOUT
THIS CASE, GUYS, IS THAT WE’VE
ALL SEEN WHAT HAPPENED.
WE’VE SEEN IT AGAIN AND AGAIN
AND AGAIN.
THE WORLD HAS SEEN WHAT
HAPPENED.
AND SO AT THE END OF THE DAY,
THE PROSECUTION ASKED THE JURY
TO BELIEVE ITS EYES.
YOU’VE SEEN THE VIDEO, BELIEVE
YOUR EYES, SAID JERRY BLACKWELL,
THE PROSECUTOR THERE.
LET’S BRING INTO OUR
CONVERSATION, CIVIL RIGHTS
ATTORNEY, CHARLES COLEMAN, AND
MSNBC LEGAL ANALYST AND DEFENSE
ATTORNEY, DANNY CEVALLOS.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU BOTH.
CHARLES, LET ME BEGIN WITH YOU
AND WHAT YOU SAW IN THAT
COURTROOM YESTERDAY.
DO YOU FEEL THAT THE PROSECUTION
DID EVERYTHING IT NEEDED TO DO?
OBVIOUSLY, YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT
KIND OF DOUBT IS IN THE MIND OF
A JUROR, BUT DID THE PROSECUTION
MAKE ITS CASE?
>> GOOD MORNING, WILLIE.
I THINK THAT THE PROSECUTION
ABSOLUTELY DID.
AS I EXPECTED, THEY LED AROUND
COMMON SENSE, TRUSTING YOUR
EYES, REFERRING TO WHAT THE
JURORS HAVE ALREADY SEEN IN
TERMS OF THE VIDEO AND ALL OF
THE EVIDENCE THAT HAS BEEN LAID
OUT.
OF COURSE, THEY SPOKE TO ALL OF
THE TECHNICAL ELEMENTS NECESSARY
IN ORDER TO SATISFY EACH PIECE
OF WHAT THE CHARGES ACTUALLY
ENTAIL.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I
THINK YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT
AND JOE AS WELL, IN TERMS OF THE
FACT THAT THEY MADE IT VERY,
VERY CLEAR, VERY, VERY
STRAIGHTFORWARD, AND VERY, VERY
SIMPLE FOR THE JURY IN TERMS OF
MAKING A DECISION.
AND AS A PROSECUTOR, THAT’S
EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
YOU WANT TO MAKE IT AS CLEAR AND
STRAIGHTFORWARD AND SIMPLE FOR
THE JURY AS POSSIBLE.
I THOUGHT THEY DID SOME
BRILLIANT THINGS IN TERMS OF
THEIR THEMES.
THEY HUMANIZED GEORGE FLOYD,
WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT I
EXPECTED.
BUT AS YOU SAW IN THE LEAD-IN
CLIP TO THE SEGMENT, THEY
ISOLATIONED DEREK CHAUVIN.
THEY ISOLATED HIM AS A POLICE
OFFICER, CEDE OF IT BEING A
THING WHERE THE WHOLE POLICE
DEPARTMENT IS ON TRIAL.
WHERE IF THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE
JURY WHO ARE SYMPATHETIC TO
POLICE, THEY MIGHT HAVE A
PROBLEM CONVICTING DEREK
CHAUVIN, WHAT THEY DID IN THAT
MOMENT WAS THAT THEY SEPARATED
DEREK CHAUVIN FROM POLICE OR
BASICALLY SAID, LISTEN, POLICE
ARE NOT ON TRIAL.
DEREK CHAUVIN IS NOT IN THIS
CASE REPRESENTATIVE OF POLICE.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE DON’T
WANT YOU TO BASICALLY MAKE THAT
ASSOCIATION IN WAY THAT MIGHT BE
CHALLENGING FOR SOME OF THE
JURORS.
SO ISOLATING HIM IN THAT WAY AND
HUMANIZING GEORGE FLOYD, IT
AGAIN ALLOWED THERE TO BE VERY
EMOTIONAL, VERY FEELING-BASED
SUMMATION AND ARGUMENT THAT
SURROUNDED THE TECHNICAL
EVIDENCE THAT THEY HAD ALREADY
PUT FORWARD FROM THE JURY ABOUT
THE ELEMENTS OF EACH CRIME.
>> DANNY, IT WAS INTERESTING, WE
HEARD FROM THE PROSECUTORS
YESTERDAY, REMINDING THE JURORS,
THIS IS NOT AN ANTI-POLICE
PROSECUTION, IT’S A PRO-POLICE
PROSECUTION, BECAUSE THEY ARGUE,
AN OFFICER LIKE DEREK CHAUVIN
MAKES ALL POLICE LOOK BAD.
HOW DO YOU THINK THAT PLAYS INTO
IT?
WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT THE ROLE OF
POLICE MORE BROADLY IN THE
COUNTRY?
TO A JURY, IF YOU HAVE A
SYMPATHETIC JUROR TO POLICE, FOR
EXAMPLE?
>> THIS IS A VERY GOOD STRATEGY
BY THE PROSECUTION.
DON’T PUT THE ENTIRE POLICE
DEPARTMENT ON TRIAL.
ISOLATE ONE OF THEM AND SAY,
LOOK, THIS WAS A ROGUE ACTOR.
GENERALLY, WE’RE NOT TRYING THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT OF
MINNEAPOLIS.
WE’RE NOT TRYING POLICE
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
WE’RE NOT TRYING LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
JUST FOCUS ON WHAT THIS ROGUE
OFFICER DID AND THEN YOU WILL
NOT SHOULDER THE ADDITIONAL
BURDEN OF LOOKING AT WHETHER OR
NOT LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE
COUNTRY NEEDS TO CHANGE OR
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THAT’S NOT THE ISSUE HERE.
AND THE PROSECUTION WISELY
STAYED AWAY FROM THAT.
THE OTHER REASON THEY STAYED
AWAY FROM IT WAS
SELF-PRESERVATION.
THEY WORK HAND IN HAND WITH THIS
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THEY SURELY DON’T WANT TO PUT
THEM ON TRIAL FOR THIS CASE AND
CREATE A RIFT IN FUTURE CASES.
>> DANNY, I’M CURIOUS WHAT YOU
THOUGHT OF THE AMOUNT OF VIDEO
THAT WAS PLAYED BY THE DEFENSE,
ALMOST TRYING TO SORT OF CHANGE
THE PERCEPTION THAT THE VIDEO,
WHICH IS ENGRAVED IN SO MANY
PEOPLE’S MINDS, SO TRAUMATIZEING
BUT ALSO VIDEO OF THE CROWD AND
PAINTING THE CROWDS AS THIS SORT
OF DANGEROUS THRONG WHEN THERE
WOULD BE LIKE TWO PEOPLE ON A
CORNER SAYING, CAN YOU STOP
KILLING THAT GUY?
I MEAN, SOMETIMES, IT JUST
DIDN’T MATCH UP TO WHAT THEY
WERE SAYING, IT APPEARED.
>> I STILL WONDER IF THE
PROSECUTION TEAM, ON A BREAK,
THE BREAK THAT THE JUDGE
IMPOSED, MIDWAY THROUGH THE
DEFENSE CLOSING, GOT INTO THEIR
SIDE ROOM, LOOKED AT EACH OTHER
AND SAID, DID HE JUST PLAY OUR
OWN VIDEO?
THEY MUST HAVE BEEN THRILLED!
BECAUSE THAT COULD HAVE ONLY
HAVE HELPED THE PROSECUTION.
ALTHOUGH, I’M NOT
SECOND-GUESSING THE DEFENSE.
THEY MUST HAVE NEEDED SOME
EVIDENCE IN THAT VIDEO THAT THEY
NEEDED TO GET BEFORE THE JURY.
AND YOU NOTICE, THEY ONLY PICKED
VIDEO OR MOSTLY PICKED VIDEO
THAT DIDN’T SHOW DEREK CHAUVIN’S
KNEE ON THE BACK OF GEORGE
FLOYD’S NECK.
BUT THAT WAS A DECISION THAT