Derek Chauvin trial: 12 of 14 jurors seated after Thursday

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Three new jurors were seated during the eighth day of jury selection Thursday in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd, bringing the total number of jurors to 12. 

Court will resume at 8:15 a.m. Friday, with Judge Cahill saying he will rule on the defense motion to delay and move the trial, which Chauvin’s attorney Eric Nelson submitted over concerns news of the civil settlement could taint the jury pool.  

Afterwards, prosecutors and defense attorneys will continue to question potential jurors until they can seat two more jurors, which would give them a 12-person jury with two alternates. 

Juror number 89 was the first to be seated Thursday morning. She was the fifth woman of the 11 selected jurors to be seated. She identified herself as a cardiac care nurse who lives in Edina. She is a White woman in her 50s. 

Juror number 91 was the next to be seated Thursday afternoon. She will be the sixth woman on the jury. She is a Black woman in her 60s. She said she is a retired grandmother who once lived 10-15 blocks from 38th and Chicago, but no longer frequents the neighborhood. 

Juror number 92 was seated just after 4 p.m. Thursday. She will be the seventh woman on the jury. She is a White woman in her 40s who works in insurance and described herself as family-oriented. She has a bachelor's degree in communications. 

Court resumed at 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning with a motion hearing regarding admitting evidence about George Floyd's emotional state during the deadly arrest, followed by jury selection. The trial is being streamed live, gavel-to-gavel, at fox9.com/live. 

Wednesday’s session ended with a net gain of zero jurors after two of the nine previously seated jurors were dismissed by Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill over their views on the recently announced $27 million civil settlement with the Floyd family. Two new jurors were seated during jury selection, a Black man in his 40s and a white woman in her 40s, bringing the total number of seated jurors back up to nine by the day’s end. 

Where jury selection currently stands 

• 12 jurors seated--five men, seven women. A total of 14 jurors (12 jurors and two alternates) are needed to start trial. 
• Defense has used twelve of their 18 peremptory challenges. 
• Prosecutors have used six of their 10 peremptory challenges. 

Judge Cahill told the selected jurors to go home and not to do any reading or research about the case in the coming weeks. He told them to report back to the courthouse on March 29 at 9 a.m., saying he is confident the trial will begin at that time. 

Each prospective juror was assigned a randomized number when they filled out the 14-page questionnaire, which asked them about their knowledge of the case, police connections and attitudes towards the justice system as well as their media habits.

GO DEEP: How the Chauvin trial jury will be selected

Jurors selected so far

1. Juror No. 2: White man in his 20s
2. Juror No. 9: Mixed/multiracial woman in her 20s
3. Juror No. 19: White man in his 30s
4. Juror No. 27: Black man in his 30s 
5. Juror No. 44: White woman in her 50s 
6. Juror No. 52: Black man in his 30s
7. Juror No. 55: White woman in her 50s
8. Juror No. 79: Black man in his 40s 
9. Juror No. 85: Mixed/multiracial woman in her 40s
10. Juror No. 89: White woman in her 50s
11. Juror No. 91: Black woman in her 60s
12. Juror No. 92: White woman in her 40s

READ MORE: Who are the selected jurors? 

Derek Chauvin charges

Chauvin is charged with third-degree murder, second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death last May.

Judge Cahill reinstated the third-degree murder charge against Chauvin during the first week of the trial. 

Chauvin trial streaming and TV information

The Chauvin trial will be live streamed, gavel to gavel, at fox9.com/live and the FOX 9 News App. You can also find the FOX 9 stream on Tubi through connected TVs. When the trial itself begins March 29, FOX 9 will broadcast it live on FOX 9 for the duration. 

Court schedule

The Derek Chauvin trial is being held in Courtroom 1856 of the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis. During jury selection, until all the preliminary motions are heard by Judge Cahill, court will start at 8 a.m. most days with a hearing on preliminary motions, before moving on to jury selection at 9 a.m. 

QUICK READ: Derek Chauvin trial essential info and FAQs

Jury selection process

To decide the jury, prosecutors and Chauvin’s defense attorneys will question each potential juror one at a time, separately from the others. 

Each potential juror has already filled out a questionnaire asking about their knowledge of the case, police connections and attitudes towards the justice system as well as their media habits, which will be provided to the attorneys and the judge before jury selection. 

Jury to remain anonymous

Potential jurors and jurors will only be referred to by a random, previously assigned number because Judge Cahill has ordered their identities to remain a secret for the duration of the trial. At the conclusion of the trial, Judge Cahill will decide when the jurors’ identities can be made public.  

Jury sequestration

The jury will be partially sequestered during the trial and fully sequestered while they are deliberating, which means they cannot go home until they reach a verdict or the judge determines they are hung.  However, the judge can order full sequestration of the jury at any time if the partial sequestration proves ineffective in keeping the jurors free from outside influence.

Opening statements in the trial are scheduled to begin on March 29. A verdict in the Chauvin trial is not expected until mid to late April. 

Who is in the courtroom?

• Trial Judge Peter Cahill
• 1 judge's clerk
• 1 court reporter
• Derek Chauvin, the defendant
• The jury. The empaneled jury will consist of 12 jurors and 2 alternates.
• Up to 4 lawyers or staff for the prosecution, led by Assistant Attorney General Matthew Frank.
• Defense attorney Eric Nelson and up to 2 staff from his law firm
• 1 witness at a time in the courtroom
• 1 George Floyd family member
• 1 Derek Chauvin family member
• 2 members of pooled media - 1 print and 1 broadcast or digital media
• 1 broadcast technician

Courtroom restrictions

Courtroom 1856 was renovated specifically for the Derek Chauvin trial to maximize capacity and maintain COVID-19 social distancing standards. The courtroom is located on the 18th floor of the Hennepin County Government Center. 

Judge Cahill has ordered certain behavior in the courtroom:

Jurors, attorneys, witnesses and support staff must wear masks and keep six feet from other people.

Masks can be removed when giving testimony, examining witnesses, giving opening statements or closing arguments. Attorneys must conduct all witness examinations and arguments from the lectern.

Any sidebar conferences will be conducted over wireless headsets. Chauvin will be outfitted with a headset to listen to these conferences, which will be off-the-record.

Jurors and potential jurors will be escorted to courtroom each day by deputies or security. No one can have contact with jurors except the judge, court personnel and deputies. Any attorney contact is limited to the jury selection process when court is in session.

Potential jurors will only be referred to by a randomized number.

Death of George Floyd

George Floyd, 46, died on May 25, 2020 while being detained by Minneapolis police officers Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue. The intersection has remained closed to traffic since Floyd's death and has been dubbed George Floyd Square.

A widely-shared video taken by a bystander showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes while he repeatedly cried, "I can’t breathe." 

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo announced the firing of all four officers the following day. Chauvin was arrested and charged with Floyd’s death on May 29 and the three others were arrested and charged with aiding and abetting on June 3.

TIMELINE: George Floyd's death to Derek Chauvin's trial

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's report ruled the death of George Floyd a homicide. The updated report stated that George Floyd experienced a cardiopulmonary arrest while being restrained by law enforcement.