George Floyd Trial: Judge Mulls Venue Change After Jury Pool Poisoned By $27 Million Payoff

The riots may be coming sooner than planned.

In the latest development from the George Floyd trial, the judge is dealing with fallout from the Minneapolis City Council’s surprise pre-trial $27 million settlment with the family of the deceased.

The payoff rocked the courtroom of Judge Peter Cahill during the jury selection phase, potentially poisoning the jurors who had already passed review and been seated in what promises to be an emotionally charged spectacle that could end with half of America in flames.

On Tuesday, Cahill mulled whether to honor the defense’s request for a delay or in the worst case scenario, move the entire shit show out of Minneapolis to another city in Minnesota, a move that if it happens, will trigger an uproar from those who are demanding that former police officer Derek Chauvin be lynched.

Chauvin facing both second and third degree murder charges (the latter being reinstated following pressure from the prosecution) as well as the lesser change of manslaughter.

Other than former DNC head, Louis Farrakhan disciple and now Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison dropping trou and taking a giant dump on Judge Cahill’s bench, the $27 million settlement is the worst thing that could have happend and has the potential to throw the court into disarray before the first witness has been sworn in.

Via The Star Tribune, “Judge weighs delay or change of venue in Derek Chauvin murder trial because of $27M settlement announcement”:

The judge presiding over the murder trial of Derek Chauvin said Tuesday he is weighing whether to delay or move the murder trial in the wake of the city of Minneapolis announcing in the midst of jury selection that it pay the George Floyd family $27 million to settle a lawsuit.

The payout being made to settle the federal lawsuit brought against the city was announced last week as jurors were being questioned about whether they could impartially judge the evidence in the trial of the fired police officer, who is charged with causing the death of Floyd late last summer after kneeling on his neck for more than 9 minutes.

Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill said just before the midday break that he’s considering a delay of the trial or having the proceedings moved to another city in the state. He added that he alone will question the seven jurors on Wednesday who were seated when the settlement was disclosed at a news conference. He wants to size up whether their ability to be fair to Chauvin has been compromised.

Another big problem with the jackpot that was distributed to Floyd’s lawyers and family is that Ellison’s radical son happens to sit on the City Council, raising serious questions of impropriety.

The Star Tribune reports:

Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office is heading the prosecution of Chauvin, was asked by a reporter whether he or the court knew that a settlement had been reached before hit was announced on Friday. Ellison, who has a son who sits on the City Council that unanimously approved the payout, declined to comment.

In other trial-related news, Chauvin’s defense team sought to include one of Floyd’s prior arrests where drugs were discovered in the vehicle, seeking to establish a pattern between the 2019 bust and the fateful encounter between the lifelong petty criminal and the four cops that ended up with the 46-year-old on a slab.

Via The Associated Press, “Battle over Floyd’s 2019 arrest highlights key trial issue”:

The judge previously rejected Chauvin’s attempt to tell the jury about Floyd’s May 2019 arrest — a year before his fatal encounter with Chauvin — but heard fresh arguments Tuesday from both sides. He said he would rule on the request Wednesday morning at the earliest.

Defense attorney Eric Nelson argued that new evidence makes the earlier arrest admissible: Drugs were found last December during a second search of the car Floyd was in, and were found in a January search of the squad car into which the four officers attempted to put Floyd.

He also argued the similarities in both encounters are relevant: Both times, as officers drew their guns and struggled to get Floyd out of the car, he called out for his mother, claimed he had been shot before and cried, and put what appeared to be pills in his mouth. Both searches turned up drugs in the cars. Officers noticed a white residue outside his mouth both times, although that has not been explained.

In the first arrest, several opioid pills were found, along with cocaine. An autopsy showed Floyd had fentanyl and methamphetamine in his system when he died.

“The similarities are incredible. The exact same behavior in two incidents, almost one year apart,” Nelson said.

But the real action remains the possibility for the venue change that would likely rock Minneapolis but hey, it was Ellison’s son and the City Council who will have blood on their hands if there is violence as a result of their settling before the verdict was delivered, it just doesn’t pass the smell test.