Judge Pete Cahill has granted the defense request to re-question the seven jurors seated in the Derek Chauvin trial prior to the publicity around the city of Minneapolis’ $27 million settlement with the family of George Floyd. Cahill said today “we are arranging, we’re going to do this by Zoom, we’re not going to make the jurors come in for a 5-minute hearing, so I’m, going to do it by Zoom, I think I’m within the rules to do it by Zoom.”
The settlement and its publicity have become a key issue in the trial so far as the defense has asked to delay the trial and the judge has taken it under advisement. The re-questioning of the jurors is set to happen Wednesday and the judge assures the jurors’ identities will be protected. Meanwhile, jury selection continues today. So far, five prospective jurors have been dismissed. The fifth potential juror under consideration today told the judge he’d heard about the settlement. Judge Pete Cahill then asked, “now you understand that was a civil case, different parties, different legal issues, different laws, and really has no bearing on this case, but even though, from a legal point of view everything I’ve said is true do you think that would make it hard for you to be impartial, or does it push you one way or the other in this case?” The potential juror answered “no” but he was eventually rejected by the defense.