George Floyd Trial: Upcoming jurors are asked to contribute ideas on the Black Lives Matter protests

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The 16-page questionnaire, filed in the Minnesota District Court, asks prospective jurors to answer how often they watched the video of Floyd’s death, their past interactions with the police, and their views on police deterrence and racial discrimination. have seen.

“Did you, or anyone close to you, participate in any of the anti-police violence demonstrations or marches that took place in Minneapolis after George Floyd’s death?” asks a question. If you took part, did you have a plate with you? What did it say? ‘

The questionnaire comes three months before the criminal trial for four former Minneapolis police officers accused of contributing to Floyd’s death.

Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died on May 25 after a meeting with Minneapolis police in which former officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly eight minutes while Floyd begged for air. Floyd’s final moments were videotaped, and his death sparked riots and fires in the city, as well as widespread protests against police brutality and racism.
Chauvin is charged with second degree accidental murder and second degree manslaughter. Three other former officers involved in the incident – Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao – are charged with complicity in second degree murder and complicity in second degree manslaughter.
The four former officers will face trial together in Hennepin County, Judge Peter Cahill ruled last month.

Questionnaire asks for vision on ‘Blue Lives Matter’

George Floyd died on May 25, 2020 at the age of 46. Criminal proceedings for the allegedly responsible agents will begin in March 2021.

In general, jury questionnaires are used to get information about future jurors and to help prosecutors and attorneys better understand the people who may be on the panel. After completing a questionnaire, jurors in court can be questioned in more detail in a process known as voir dire.

In this case, the questionnaire is split into 6 parts, with the first part asking about their knowledge and beliefs about Floyd, the officers charged with his death, and subsequent protests.

“Were you or someone you know injured or suffered property damage in the protests that followed George Floyd’s death?” asks a question.

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“Do you believe your community has been negatively or positively affected by any of the protests that have taken place in the Twin-Cities area since George Floyd’s death?” another question is asked.

The second part of the questionnaire asks people about their media use. The third section asks people about their previous interactions with the police, either as victims or as arrested. This section contains questions about “Black Lives Matter”, “Blue Lives Matter” and other contacts with the police.

“Have you, or anyone close to you, ever helped or advocated for or against police reform? If so, please explain,” one question reads.

That section also asks people to answer on a sliding scale between “totally agree” and “totally disagree” to statements like “Discrimination is not as bad as the media claims it is” and “I support the defunding of Minneapolis Police. “

The remainder of the questionnaire is about personal history, opinions about the legal system in general, and the ability to participate in the trial.

The document indicates that the jury selection is expected to begin on March 8 and last until March 26. The lawsuit will then begin on March 29 and will last about 3-4 weeks, the document estimates. The jury is locked up overnight in a hotel during the deliberations and “possibly for part of the trial”, according to the questionnaire.

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