Jury selection in the murder case against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd began on Tuesday despite prosecutors asking the Minnesota Court of Appeals to halt the high-profile trial.
The first pool of potential jurors were brought into the courtroom just after 9 a.m. local time and prosecutors and attorneys for Chauvin each introduced themselves.
Hennepin County District Court Judge Peter Cahill said he intends to keep the jury selection process going until the appellate court tells him otherwise.
Chauvin’s lawyers filed an appeal with the state Supreme Court after the appellate court issued a ruling on Friday asking Cahill to reinstate a third-degree murder charge against Chauvin after finding that the judge erred in October when he dismissed the count.
Prosecutors from the office of state Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a motion on Monday asking the appellate court to stay the trial, arguing that Cahill does not have total jurisdiction over the case while a decision over whether to include the third-degree murder charge remains pending.
In opening remarks to the jury pool, Cahill said Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, but added “charges might be added or subtracted” as the case goes on.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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