‘Floyd’ trial delay

Court dispute puts off jury picks

A Minnesota judge delayed jury selection in the murder trial of ex-cop Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd for at least one day on Monday, but vowed to move forward on Tuesday.

Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill sent prospective jurors home Monday morning while prosecutors seek guidance from a state appeals court over a disputed additional charge of third-degree murder.

“Just looking at the clock, we have jurors, but I think realistically we’re not going to get to any jury selection,” Cahill said in court. “We won’t have an answer until at least tomorrow.

“So, unless any of the parties object, I’m going to kick our jurors loose and start everything tomorrow with jury selection,” he said.

Chauvin (above left) is currently charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of Floyd (above right), but Cahill tossed the additional charge last year.

The state attorney general appealed that ruling to the Court of Appeals — which said on Friday that Cahill had erred in dismissing the extra charge.

Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, said Monday he would file an appeal of that ruling with the Minnesota Supreme Court, but urged Cahill to continue with jury selection.

Prosecutors, however, said they want clear guidance from the appeals panel before moving forward with the highly anticipated trial.

“We won’t know what the charges are if we now go forward and start picking the jury,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew Frank, the lead prosecutor in the case, argued to Cahill.

Cahill said he is determined to move forward and closed the day’s proceedings by reiterating that he planned to resume jury selection Tuesday morning “unless the Court of Appeals tells me otherwise.”

Chauvin, 44, is charged with killing Floyd on May 25, 2020, by pressing his knee to the back of his neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest at a Minneapolis intersection.

The caught-on-video incident sparked worldwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice — prompting unprecedented security measures for Chauvin’s trial.