Updates on George Floyd Trail and Family Settlement

The family of George Floyd received a $27 million settlement from Minneapolis as the trial of the police officer charged with his murder is days away from starting. Some reports are warning of the impact the settlement will have on the trial.

Summary

As jury selection in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin continues, the Floyd family and city of Minneapolis reached a settlement over the death of George Floyd.

• The judge overseeing Chauvin’s trial re-instated the third-degree murder charge that was initially dropped last year after successful arguments from the defendant’s attorneys.
• Half the jury was also selected this week, with seven more left to be decided.
• The city of Minneapolis and the Floyd family also announced a $27 million settlement this week over the death of George Floyd, $500,000 of it to be earmarked for the neighborhood in which Floyd was killed.
• As Minneapolis prepares for the Chauvin trial, the intersection where Floyd died and surrounding streets have been closed to traffic, leading businesses in the area which lost revenue to request financial assistance from the city. 

• CNN’s report on the settlement details the reforms the Minneapolis Police Department has taken since Floyd’s death.
• The Washington Post’s report warned of the settlement’s potential impact on Chauvin’s trial, reporting the defendant’s attorneys want no mention of the settlement saying it would be prejudicial and could cause a mistrial.
• MSNBC’s Joy Reid interviewed Congresswoman Cori Bush about the settlement, who accused state legislatures of passing “anti-protestor legislation instead of fixing the problem” of police reform.

• The New York Post emphasized comments from the Floyd family saying they would rather have George Floyd alive than the millions of dollars.
• OANN’s coverage included an interview with Kurt Schlichter who called the trail “a disaster” because of potential juror’s concerns over intimidation and harassment.
• RedState wrote about the side effects and ancillary happenings surrounding the settlement and trial, noting the country is likely not going to find the “closure” it needs after a “makeshift memorial” has become a “no-cops allowed autonomous zone” and referencing Washington Post’s concerns about a mistrial.

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© Dallas Gerber, 2021