The judge questioned 7 jurors about whether the record lawsuit payout agreed upon last week affected their ability to assure Chauvin a fair trial.
The influence of extensive publicity again took center stage at the murder trial of fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on Wednesday, with two seated jurors dismissed amid an announcement that the city has agreed to pay George Floyd’s survivors $27 million.
The total number of jurors shrank to seven after Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill removed two who said they had heard about a federal lawsuit settlement reached last week and admitted it affected their ability to assure Chauvin of his constitutional right to be presumed innocent during the course of the trial.
Before questioning, Cahill began the court session by warning journalists against reporting what is on notes and computers in courtroom, along with the security details on the 18th floor. He called it “extremely irresponsible” and said there would be sanctions if these disclosures continued. Continue reading.