It is day four of jury selection in the trial of the former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. So far six potential jurors have been seated to hear the case and evidence against the former officer — that includes five men and one woman. There are three white men, one African American man and one Hispanic man, as well as the woman of mixed race.
These parties and attorneys and the judge need to reach a total of 14 jurors before the start of this trial, which is slated to begin March 29 — 12 jurors with two alternates. So far of the six, there is a chemist, there is an auditor, there is an IT manager, as well as a route truck driver. And as they continue this process, they will have up to three weeks to select and impanel the juror.
But the big news yesterday is that another charge will be lodged against Derek Chauvin, and that is the third-degree murder charge. Now Derek Chauvin faces the top count of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. If convicted of the top count, he could face up to 40 years in prison. We'll continue to keep you updated on all the latest happenings here in downtown Minneapolis and outside the Hennepin County Courthouse for now.
