Will names of 12 jurors who convicted Derek Chauvin be released? Expert says they might experience trauma
Judge Peter Cahill who oversaw Derek Chauvin's trial has stated that the identities of the jury members who convicted Derek Chauvin will not be released until he deems it safe enough to be made public. He also claimed that this measure ensured that Chauvin received a fair trial.
In the run-up to the trial, when Cahill had spoken to potential jurors, he had informed them that each of their identities would be revealed at some point. But he did assure them of one safeguard -- he would protect their privacy as long as he felt it was necessary.
When will jurors' identifying information be released?
Usually, the identity of the jurors and information such as the questionnaires become public soon after the trial is concluded in Minnesota. However, according to a report in a CBS local, there is a precedent of keeping the identity of the jurors under wraps, if needed.
In the 2019 trial of Somali-American Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor in the shooting death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, Noor had been convicted. After 18 months had passed, Star Tribune took legal action to unseal all available information regarding the jurors in the 2019 case. But Hennepin County judge Kathryn Quaintance, who had presided over the case, decided not to reveal any information about the jurors, except for their names.
It must be noted that Minnesota first empaneled an anonymous jury for the 1993 trial of alleged gang member Shannon Bowles.
The case was that of Bowles having slain Minneapolis police officer Jerry Haaf in 1992 as quoted by the William Mitchell Law Review. In 1995, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that sealing information regarding the jurors' identity did not infringe on Bowles’ right to an impartial jury or his right to be presumed innocent. This then set precedent for future trials to opt for anonymous juries whenever appropriate and required -- such as the Derek Chauvin trial case or the 2019 Mohamed Noor trial.
What do we know about the jury as of now?
During the selection process, both the prosecutor's side and the defense team avoided eliciting any information that would end up becoming a key in identifying them during the selection process. They also addressed the jury members by number in open court during the trial. The foreman was juror number 19 who is described as a White man in his 30s.
Speaking of himself, the juror said that he would usually try to resolve conflict and make decisions based on facts, not emotions. He also added that he has a friend who is a canine officer with the Minneapolis Police Department.
In his questionnaire, he claimed to support the BLM movement and did not look too supportive of the Blue Lives Matter that followed. He also said that he had heard Floyd had done hard drugs, but then stated that this should not affect the trial. He said, "Whether you are under the influence of drugs doesn’t determine whether you should be living or dead."
Judge Cahil also released other information that would not directly identify the members of the jury. Six of the jury members were White, four were Black and two were multiracial. Their age ranged anywhere between 20 and 60. During the trial, the jury members had entered the courtroom by a guarded, private entrance. Despite the proceedings of the court being live-streamed across the world, the faces of the jury members were not featured. In the courtroom, their faces would always be covered with masks.
The 12 jury members were chosen from a pool of 300 potential jurors of which five were men and seven were women. Speaking to the work profile of the jury members it was revealed that the group included a chemist, a nurse, an auditor, and a grandmother. It has been reported that members of the jury might experience lasting trauma from the trial after watching hours of tearful testimonies and watching a number of graphic images and videos in order to understand all facets of the case.
Trauma from Derek Chauvin trial
Patricia Frazier, a psychology professor at the University of Minnesota, was quoted in an interview speaking of the effect that a trial such as that of Chauvin could have on jury members. The professor, who studies stress and trauma and serves as an expert on sexual assault cases, said, "You have this trauma exposure, and you have the pressure of the decision, and the worldwide scrutiny, and the consequences for racial justice, and the lack of your typical coping strategies and support. There is vicarious trauma exposure. You can't look away. You can't take the day off, you can't talk to anybody about it."