Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin has been convicted!
In the news media! They’re competing with each other as to who can wring the most salty tears out of a most preventable tragedy. Mr. George Floyd, please get in the squad car!
Has any recent trial (outside the U.S. Senate) been more politically charged than that of police officer Derek Chauvin, accused of Floyd’s second-degree murder?
Page one of the Sunday New York Times (04-04-21): “Chauvin’s trial bares the wounds of witnesses. Killing left scars on all who saw it happen.” Notice the word “killing.” Not death — which is never ice cream and balloons. He was KILLED!
Frank Bruni in the NY Times editorial section: “George Floyd felt absolutely helpless.” Well, it IS the opinion page because it certainly is not a fact put in evidence.
The ever-dependable Charles (does he ever!) Blow: Lessons from Lynchings; There’s a through-line from a noose on the neck to a knee on the neck.”
CNN: “George Floyd’s family describes heart-wrenching experience in the courtroom during Derek Chauvin’s trial, attorney says.”
CNN again: “Black families still reeling from verdicts in police brutality cases warn justice is not promised in Chauvin trial.” Um, it would be more accurate to say that conviction is not promised in Chauvin’s trial. That little thing about presumption of innocence.
Let’s not forget that an original member of the Defund the Police “Squad” represents Minneapolis in Congress. “Ilhan Omar: ‘Horrendous’ to watch Derek Chauvin’s defense ‘put George Floyd on trial’.”
Politically expendable
The armchair experts at the Policy Werkes say that Officer Chauvin is not the poster boy for any police department. If any cop needs to be thrown overboard to assure a cynical public that police are reforming, Chauvin will do nicely. (Of course, it won’t.) But political expedience is not the standard in a criminal court of law.
Legal analyst Jonathan Turley writes: “the key to conviction in the Derek Chauvin trial (and avoiding a cascading failure in all four cases) is the autopsy findings and the role of drugs (including fentanyl) in the body of George Floyd.”
When called to the scene due to Floyd allegedly passing counterfeit money, Floyd denied using drugs but later said he was “hooping,” or taking drugs.
The state’s criminal complaint against Chauvin said the autopsy “revealed no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation.
Mr. Floyd had underlying health conditions including coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease.”
He also was COVID-19 positive.
Andrew Baker, Hennepin County’s chief medical examiner, strongly suggested that the primary cause was a huge amount of fentanyl in Floyd’s system. …
The toxicology report on Floyd’s blood also noted that … Floyd had almost four times the level of fentanyl considered potentially lethal.
Floyd notably repeatedly said that he could not breathe while sitting in the police cruiser and before he was ever restrained on the ground. That is consistent with the level of fentanyl in his system that can cause “slowed or stopped breathing.”
Finally, the restraint using an officer’s knee on an uncooperative suspect was part of the training of officers, and jurors will watch training videotapes employing the same type of restraint as official policy.
Blaska’s Bottom Line: At the very least or at the very most, Derek Chauvin may be guilty of poor police procedure.
“At the very least or at the very most, Derek Chauvin may be guilty of poor police procedure.”
Yes, “may be,” but that very much remains to be seen, https://legalinsurrection.com/2021/04/live-chauvin-trial-day-6-will-this-be-week-state-offers-proof-of-cause-of-death/:
“…The Minneapolis Police Department use-of-force policies in effect at the time explicitly permitted a knee-on-neck restraint technique when dealing with non-compliant suspects–indeed, MPD training materials on restraint included illustrative photographs showing the precise technique used by Chauvin.
“Further, officers are not only permitted but required to use force not only to protect themselves and the public, but to protect the in-custody suspect, even from himself. To the extent the officers believed Floyd was suffering from excited delirium–and we know they were, because they are heard discussing this concern on their body camera footage–the standard protocol is to completely restrain the suspect’s entire body to prevent the over-exertion believed to kill in cases of excited delirium.
“Further, it is well recognized that overdose victims who regain consciousness often immediately respond with violence when they rouse, and thus steps to prevent this would be reasonable. …”
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Andrew is doing a great service at Legal Insurrection. The MSM is only covering the state prosecution portion of the trial, and completely ignoring cross examination. They are lying by leaving out key facts, why? Maybe they want more riots this year?
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There was four cops at the scene. If they couldn’t handle the situation; call for back-up. One; to transport him; two, control the crowd. The guy was out cold; get off his neck. Maybe what was needed is a good guy with a gun protecting Floyd from the cops.
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Where was the social worker?
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Richard, “There was four cops at the scene…” Welp, see, therein lies yer problemo. Whilst’s I understand that English is a 2nd language to many, I hafta say I’ve never seen it referenced to US born dough-nut fabricators. I think if ya pursue this obvious disability to all things comprehensible to MOST folks, you’ll find that The Gotch has been yer ally/mentor for quite a long duration. Jes’ sayin’. Kinda miss that Gotchster as in “Bigtime”….
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Where is our friend, Gotch?
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A depressing pall hung over the village for weeks now and still no one could figure out what it was and from whence it came. Even the local shaman was dumbfounded and beginning to lose credibility among the villagers as a gifted seer when by chance a stranger appeared.
While visiting with some of the locals the subject of the creepy darkness rang heavy in conversation and that is when the stranger shared a similar experience while at another village. The stranger asked if anyone knew of the gifted wordsmith who goes by the name Gotch, and nearly everyone’s arm immediately shot straight up.
It turns out the disappearance of The Gotch was the source of the insidious soul-leeching dark cloud that was slowly, gradually, lowering the vibration of the once bright village.
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Whisperings in the neighboring village say that Gotch and AnonyBob have eloped.
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