Derek Chauvin Held at Oak Park Heights Prison: What We Know

I represented a man in Oak Park Heights or helped with it while a student lawyer with Legal Assistance to Minnesota Prisoners back in Spring of 1989. Most of the people though I had were connected with Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater. In 1989 they were well run prisons with very little in the way of disturbances. Stillwater had a barber shop and probably the oldest prisoner run newspaper in the US if not the world--The Prison Mirror. It was founded by the Younger brothers who had gotten shot up with their other cohorts in the Northfield MN bank robbery. The Prison Mirror | Minnesota Historical Society.

There sure seems to be a lot of people who are upset, that a bad white cop (with at least 18 previous complaints and only 1 disciplinary action) didn't get away with murdering an unarmed black person - again. With the sentencing still to come, we'll see if the judge has tipped his hand with his comments about Water's statement - on whether he's one of them.

"He was killed by the cop. So said both coroners."


Excellent post. Trying to say differently and believing those alternative facts, are rife on certain media platforms and from certain demographics.

What really resonated was how many fellow officers testified against him. That tells you something.

i don't know how much of that is true. it could've been anyone of us under that cop's knee, that he felt 'deserved' such extreme treatment. no excuse for what took place

Conjecture on your part

So... where's your outrage with the Administration that allowed such a "bad white cop" to continue serving until the time he murdered an unarmed black person - again? Is there no culpability for "bad white cop's" leader? You know, the one who ultimately threw the "bad white cop" under the bus to save his own slimy self. No ulterior motive there, eh?

Did it occur to you that perhaps the "bad white cop" had only 1 disciplinary action on his record because the other 17 complaints were found unjustifiable/unverifiable? Because no one is ever angry with their arresting officer, or lies when caught in a crime, right? And if that's not the case, then "the bad white cop's" leader is responsible for his own lack of action in removing that "bad white cop" from the street. Right? But we've heard NOT a whisper of the leadership failing its responsibilities.

The media directed this show. They told you what they wanted you to know e.g. 18 prior complaints exist but not the findings of those complaints? They told you his own chief said he was guilty, but never pursued why the chief allowed DC to stay with the PD despite so many complaints. The media made this entire event about white cop v black man. Never once during the trial was race mentioned. So was it really about white v black? Or did the media get a big one over on you?

DC was a sacrificial lamb, found guilty of murder to appease the mob, to keep the cities from burning. And it literally makes me feel sick. I don't believe DC murdered GF, he contributed to the death but he didn't cause it. And it certainly wasn't murder. Saying DC "murdered" is as ludicrous as saying GF committed suicide bc he did not address his health (90% occlusion of a coronary artery is def significant), and pumping lethal doses of fentanyl, coupled w methamphetamines into his body. Tic tic tic it was only a matter of time and he'd have died by his own actions/inactions. That's my humble opinion, and I hold it strongly.

If Floyd was white you would never know, because it wouldn’t have made the national news...

Trial
 

The judge overseeing former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin's trial in the death of George Floyd said Monday that Rep. Maxine Waters' comments could be grounds for appealing a verdict.

"I'll give you that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned," Judge Peter Cahill told defense attorney Eric Nelson on Monday.

“We've got to stay in the street and demand justice," Waters said to reporters.

"We're looking for a guilty verdict and we're looking to see if all of the talk that took place and has been taking place after they saw what happened to George Floyd. If nothing does not happen, then we know that we got to not only stay in the street, but we have got to fight for justice," she added.

Trial
 

Then and now?

Maybe the cops should sit in their cars and drink coffee. That way the bad guy won't get hurt. When you need help, call your councilman instead of the police. They can send someone down to talk to the thug who has a gun in your face.

There are some police that may be bad, but it is very sad when the crook/druggie is the hero.

It's a very difficult job. They need to be paid more and vetted more thoroughly.

Tony Timpa, who called police for help, was white. Do you feel the same about him? One of the officers was black, per video.

The jury was sequestered as soon as the Prosecutors/Defense rested their cases. They did not see or hear the politician that the Judge admonished. The Judge overstepped his boundaries when he told the Defense they had a probable case for appeal. Totally inappropriate and uncalled for.

.
.
wrong.


U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., showed up at an anti-police brutality protest in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, on Saturday evening, saying demonstrators needed to "stay on the street," demanding justice until police reform becomes a reality.

"I’m going to fight with all of the people who stand for justice," Waters told reporters shortly before an 11 p.m. curfew. "We’ve got to get justice in this country and we cannot allow these killings to continue."

The jury was home then (not in the courthouse), and the trial ended Monday when they went into deliberation.

The judge DID NOT say "probable", but alluded to the fact that politicians speech should not undermine the judicial system.

Please don't make up your own facts....
.
.

The Chauvin trial was not fair. In a fair trial, all 12 jurors must individually agree to convict. And, they must be able to make that decision without any fear of retribution against them. Can you imagine being the only juror to disagree with the verdict? Would you feel safe?

That is interesting food for thought. If the trial is moved out the area in this case out of the Minneapolis Police Jurisdiction it would probably help relieve the jurors fear factor some. But then does this mean "by a jury of your peers" ? I have no idea.

A point of note about hung juries. Having one juror not coming to consensus is not the same as acquittal. It is not over at that point. The option then go as follows:

After a mistrial has been declared due to a hung jury
1. the prosecutor may end up dismissing the charges levied against the defendant.
2. a plea bargain may be reached after a mistrial has been declared.
3. If neither of these things occur, the mistrial will end up leading to the defendant being tried on all of the same charges in another trial to be held at a later date. Double jeopardy does not apply in the event of a mistrial.

I have to believe that at least some of the jurors were persuaded to vote guilty out of a sense of fear.

Their names get out and the next thing that happens a mob shows up outside their front door.

Prominent politicians are calling for a guilty vote or taking to the streets before the verdict was even decided.

In what world was this a fair trial?

I believe he deserved a guilty verdict but not like this.

There was NO justice here. I'm left w even more distrust in our criminal justice system. And now, Qualified Immunity is at risk. I wouldn't be a LEO today on a bet. God bless those that are.

Yep. And one bad cop in the mix makes them all bad cops. One bad doc... all are rotten. One bad FedEx driver, and they all suck. One surly server, they're all surly. Jesus, please help us.

George Floyds family sued and received 27 Million? I understand the police officer was wrong in how he acted and caused the death of George Floyd but 27 million dollars?????

If George Floyd was not trying to pass a $20 counterfeit bill he would be alive today.
If George Floyd respected the Police Officers and was not resisting arrest he would be alive today.
George Floyd was a drug dealer, a drug addict, and served time in prison with a history of violence.
George Floyd is not a Dr. Martin Luther King, but yet the news media is making him seem like he was a good citizen??
George Floyds family sued the City and received 27 million. I don't understand why 27 million??

It was $27 million because the person or persons who authorized the amount did not need to spend a dime of their own money. Spending other people's money (taxpayers) is very easy to do.