GUILTY MN - George Floyd, 46, died, Minneapolis, 25 May 2020 #18 - Chauvin Closing & Deliberations #1

[JerseyGirl]

Judge Cahill says before closing arguments he will give them instructions on the law.

https://twitter.com/anavilastra/status/1384146944239439879?s=21

Judge Cahill: A reasonable doubt is doubt based upon reason and common sense. It does not mean a fanciful or capricious doubt, nor does it mean beyond all possibility of doubt.

Judge Cahill is now defining words repeatedly seen in the instructions.

-Attempted
-Bodily harm
-Great bodily harm

…and so on…

Cahill: The fact that other causes contribute to the death does not relieve the defendant of criminal liability. However, the defendant is not criminally liable if a superseding cause caused the death.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Judge Cahill is now going through the charges.

He’s explaing murder in the second degree. He says jurors must find multiple elements were proven in court to find him guilty of this charge.

https://twitter.com/anavilastra/status/1384149588408295430?s=21

Judge Cahill went through 3rd degree murder. This is the charge that was reinstated after a back and forth w/appeals.

He’s now explaining 2nd degree manslaughter.

Judge Cahill: You are the sole judges of whether witnesses to be believed and have the weight to be given a witness's testimony. There are no hard and fast rules to guide you in this respect.

 

[Weki]

I still do not understand why, after approval by the court, that the prosecution did not bring in that Chauvin was lauded and got recognition for turning a suspect on his side. To show that he knew.

Anyone .. can you think of why they didn't bring in after fighting for it and winning that they could?

As MOO so much depends on him knowing about turning on his side in recovery etc etc etc.

Im guessing they were concerned about an appeal. I feel like those 2 prior acts that the judge allowed would confuse the issue since they’re only supposed to consider what DC knew at the time and the circumstances on that day! State has already proven DC had the requisite training about positional asphyxia. They have Lane asking him to turn GF to the side.

 

[Katerz]

I love that he’s humanizing George!

 

[JerseyGirl]

Steve Schleicher is now at the lectern for closing arguments.

https://twitter.com/anavilastra/status/1384152452094599174?s=21

Schleicher: On May 25, 2020 George Floyd died face down on the pavement right on 38th & Chicago in Minneapolis.

 

[missy1974]

This is coming off a bit flat...

Maybe a bit of nerves?

 

[Katerz]

This is coming off a bit flat...

Maybe a bit of nerves?

He’s making good points though. He’s portraying the agony George went through.

 

[missy1974]

Wonder if he's reading the jury... his voice changed... not so monotone now

 

[JerseyGirl]

Schleicher: He was trapped with the unyielding pavement underneath him, as unyielding as the men who held him down, pushing him, a knee to the neck, the knee to the back, twisting his fingers, holding his legs for nine minutes and 29 seconds.

https://twitter.com/anavilastra/status/1384153427660349455?s=21

Schleicher: The pavement tearing into his skin...George Floyd losing strength, not superhuman strength. There was no superhuman strength that day. There's no superhuman strength because there's no such thing as a superhuman.

Schleicher: There was no one there he knew, he was surrounded by Strangers.
Strangers, all of them. Nine minutes and 29 seconds. He's surrounded by strangers.
Not a familiar face to say his final words.

But he did say them to someone.
Schleicher: He sent them to someone who he did not know by name. He knew him from the uniform...He called him Mr. Officer. That's what he called him, Mr. Officer.

 

[Chelly]

Oh my! Atty Schleicher giving a superb closing, point out step by step the final minutes of Mr. Floyd's life.

 

[Katerz]

Oh my! Atty Schleicher giving a superb closing, point out step by step the final minutes of Mr. Floyd's life.

I agree, he’s doing an amazing job. “9 minutes and 29 seconds” over and over. I’m glad he’s repeating that.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Schleicher: George Floyd's final words on May 25 2020 were,
“Please. I can't breathe."
And he said those words to Mr. Officer…He asked for help with his very last breath.

https://twitter.com/anavilastra/status/1384154529403269120?s=21

SS: That was required with some compassion. Humans need that, people need that more fundamental than that, and more practical, at that time in that place with George Floyd needed was some oxygen. That's what he needed.
He needed to breathe.

Schleicher: He had no pulse. He was not breathing. He was not responsive, and the defendant had to know what was right beneath him. Right beneath.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Schleicher: Sometimes you asked for the truth sometimes you insist on the truth and the truth is the defendant was on top of him for nine minutes and 29 seconds. And he had to know.

Schleicher: What the defendant did to George Floyd killed him.
He was ruled a homicide.
The defendant is charged with murder, charged with murder and he's charged with manslaughter and the defendant at the time was a police officer.

https://twitter.com/anavilastra/status/1384155558047981575?s=21

Schleicher: Remember, in jury selection...we talked about setting biases and preconceived notions behind. Well, imagining a police officer committing a crime, might be the most difficult thing you'd have to set aside because that's just not the way we think of police officers.

Schleicher: This case is called the state of Minnesota vs. Derek Chauvin. This case is not called the state of Minnesota vs. The Police.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Schleicher: There's nothing worse for good police than a bad police...It doesn't follow procedure, who doesn't follow training, who ignores the policies of the dept. The motto of the department, "To protect with courage to serve with compassion."

https://twitter.com/anavilastra/status/1384156368853106695?s=21

SS: The sanctity of life and the protection of the public. Those are the cornerstones of Minneapolis Police Department's use of force policy, protection of the public. All of the public. All of the human beings that make up the public.

Schleicher: He's not on trial for who he was. He's on trial for what he did. That is what he did. That is what he did on that day. Nine minutes and 29 seconds.

 

[Weki]

A bit underwhelming.....awkward.

 

[ilovewings]

" It was an assault and he did it on purpose"

Love the word "assault"

 

[Shaddow]

Nine Minutes and Twenty Nine Seconds.
That says all you need to know ...

 

[JerseyGirl]

Schleicher: This was not an accident. He did not trip and fall and find himself upon George Floyd's…neck. he did what he did on purpose. And it killed George Floyd...he betrayed the badge. Everything it stood for.

https://twitter.com/anavilastra/status/1384157675647234049?s=21

Schleicher: You saw the photo, you saw the body language...They’re pointing cameras at him...telling him what to do, challenging his authority, his ego, his pride. Not the kind of pride that makes you do better, be better.

 

[tlcya]

Chauvin was trying to win and GF paid for it with his life.

 

[GarAndTeed]

Go Steve!