Where are Derek Chauvin's supporters? Courtroom chair for his kin, friends were empty during 2 weeks of trial
The murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is underway, and as he sits day after day in a Hennepin County courtroom listening to testimony and scribbling on a legal pad, his supporters are nowhere to be seen.
"I wish I knew what he was writing," USA Today's Suzette Hackney wrote of the defendant's constant note-taking. "Chauvin is apparently on an island, with only his defense attorneys. There is a chair reserved in the courtroom for his friends and family. Most days, no one sits there," she added.
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On the other hand, members of George Floyd's family reportedly take turns daily sitting in the allotted seat reserved for them in the back of the courtroom. Meanwhile, only two reporters were in the courtroom, one pool representative from a print organization and the other from a broadcast network.
Chauvin is accused of killing Floyd while in Minneapolis Police custody last May, kneeling on him for over nine minutes while trying to arrest him. The hotly-anticipated trial is being televised due to COVID-19 restrictions and the sensitive nature of the case.
Hackney noted that the trial, which has entered its third and possibly final week, has been "difficult to stomach." She wrote, "The constant replaying of the video from different angles; the graphic nature and descriptions of how Floyd died; the emotional testimony from those who witnessed the incident – it's all traumatizing." She added: "Maybe too traumatizing for those who love Chauvin. Imagine how Floyd's family feels."
According to a May 29, 2020, statement from the Sekula Law Offices, Chauvin's wife filed for divorce just days after Floyd's demise.
“This evening, I spoke with Kellie Chauvin and her family. She is devastated by Mr Floyd’s death and her utmost sympathy lies with his family, with his loved ones, and with everyone who is grieving this tragedy. She has filed for dissolution of her marriage to Derek Chauvin,” the statement read. “While Ms Chauvin has no children from her current marriage, she respectfully requests that her children, her elder parents, and her extended family be given safety and privacy during this difficult time.”
Meanwhile, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo testified in court that Chauvin continuing to kneel on Floyd despite being handcuffed and not showing any signs of resistance was "in no way, shape or form" department policy or training, "and it is certainly not part of our ethics or our values."
The 45-year-old former cop has since been charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.
“Use your common sense. Believe your eyes. What you saw, you saw,” prosecutor Steve Schleicher told jurors, pointing to the excruciating bystander footage of Floyd being held down for nearly ten minutes with Chauvin's knee on him as spectators yelled at the cop to get off. "This wasn't policing, this was murder," the New York Times quoted Schleicher as saying. "Nine minutes and 29 seconds of shocking abuse of authority. The defendant is guilty of all three counts. And there's no excuse."
The aforementioned charges against Chauvin need the jury to conclude that the policeman's actions were a “substantial causal factor” in Floyd's death - and that his use of force was unreasonable. The mandatory punishment on each count is different: 40 years for accidental second-degree murder, 25 years for third-degree murder, and 10 years for second-degree manslaughter.