Was Justice Served? The Real Jury is Still Out
Observations, Questions, and Concerns About the Chauvin Trial and Verdict
When it comes to celebrated jury trials, whether the 1996 O.J. Simpson acquittal or Tuesday’s 3-count guilty verdicts of Minneapolis Police Office Derek Chauvin over the death of George Floyd, I pray for impartial justice. I care more about the integrity of the process - like elections - than the actual outcomes. We want to have confidence that justice was done and accept the outcome, no matter the verdict - like elections. And we worry about the unintended - or, perhaps, intended - consequences.
You know, that jurors performed their duties to the best of their ability with impartiality and without intimidation, political or personal. Justice via our independent judiciary, at all levels, while imperfect, is a bedrock of our American system. It is an institution we cannot afford to see destroyed. And it is under attack.
Was justice done in the trial of Derek Chauvin? I hope so. Who hasn’t seen the video of Chauvin placing his knee on Floyd’s neck for 9 excruciating minutes? But it may be too early to cast a final verdict on that. There’s his sentencing, likely to be followed up by an appeal. And then there’s the upcoming trial of his 3 fellow police officers. This is not over.
Several things surrounding the Chauvin trial concern me. Not the trial itself. I’m no legal expert, but the jurors seem to have been carefully and judiciously chosen and vetted. Judge Cahill was clearly competent and demonstrably fair. Nor the prosecution or the defense, which did their best to present their cases. This was, by all appearances, a fair trial. Some will quibble over strategy and tactics. I didn’t watch the trial and relied on whom I considered impartial observers, like Scott Johnson of Powerlineblog.com in Minnesota, and another site, legalinsurrention.com. They did a terrific job of covering the trial daily.
But my concern is this: the loud, endless, and violent politicization of Floyd’s death across the nation, much to our national detriment. And it is not ending anytime soon. No thanks to our President, who continues the divisive canard that America is rift with “systemic racism.” I rely on Tim Scott (R-SC), a Black GOP US Senator, for my queues on “systemic racism” in the US. Racism is real, of course, but we are not a racist country. If you really want to see “systemic racism” up close and real, go to communist China.
Everyone and everything seemed to weigh in Tuesday on the verdict. Even my very blue county government (Arlington, VA) stated support of the verdict. Why? They had no connection whatsoever to events in Minneapolis last May or events since. But it was clearly politically opportunistic for them to do so, a classic virtue signal.
An appeal by Chauvin of his conviction seems likely now, thanks in part to lifelines tossed by malevolent if not stupid politicians - local, state, and national - who demanded a specific verdict. Those celebrating with praise of George Floyd’s “sacrifice” in service to justice may sing a different tune in a few months, maybe as soon as the sentencing occurs if it doesn’t meet expectations. It might make the estimated $1-2 billion in riot damage last summer look like a modest down payment.
The politically motivated deification of George Floyd by the Left has been one of the more interesting aspects of this very public trial, given his rap sheet and autopsy report. He resisted arrest. The politicization of his murder by the worst elements of The Left resulted in billions of dollars of damage, death, and destruction of livelihoods in more than 200 cities across the United States. It tore the masks off of our incompetent if not malign media. “This is mostly a protest,” MSNBC embarrassingly broadcasted at one such event as fires were raging behind reporter Ali Velshi.
But put yourself in one of several shoes—the juror, with a powerful California congresswoman flying to Minnesota to clearly incite violence. Local officials had already convicted Chauvin and made a big payout to Floyd’s family before the trial even started. The Chauvin jurors were apparently not fully sequestered until the trial’s end, which means they likely saw or heard media reports of the violence and intimidation in local media, including bad people vandalizing the former home an expert who testified on behalf of the defense. Did they feel threatened? And it appears local media had partially doxxed the identities of the 14 jurors.
Would you be willing to serve on the jury for a very politicized trial, with Antifa and BLM activists on the prowl, seeking your identity, ready to attack your home or your family? Would you feel intimidated? Would you feel safe? It is only a matter of time before one or more of the jurors speak out. Reporters are on it right now. It is an obvious follow-up.
And what if you’re a policeman? Sure, there are bad apples in every profession. I’ve been a news reporter, lobbyist, and worked in Congress, none held in the highest esteem. I’ve seen shady operators in lots of professions. So have you. Bad cops exist. Bad actors should always be rooted out.
But how did Minneapolis’ city council respond to Floyd’s death? Not by waiting for a jury verdict and doing an objective analysis, but by quickly defunding their entire police department. Many Democrats continue to decry police and demand they “stand down” as their precinct offices and resources are torched. And police are responding. By quitting. In droves. Result? An increase in violent crime. Guess who opposes defunding the police?
Would you ask your son or daughter to consider becoming a law enforcement officer today? It really is a noble calling. But where’s the support? Not from some local prosecutors. Still, most Americans hold the police in high regard. So there’s that. But make no mistake, police officers are quitting. Whose interests does that ultimately serve?
It’s been a rough 11 months since George Floyd’s murder. Hundreds of politically motivated violent riots, exacerbated by a global and deadly pandemic. Assaults on law enforcement officials from violent agitators without little or no support from public officials. And the obvious attempts at intimidation of jurors and others for prescribed politically satisfactory results.
The trial’s outcome may ultimately confirm that justice was well served, but violence, intimidation, and other assaults on justice, our political institutions, and our basic sense of fairness are destructive. Too many of our elected officials and other stakeholders too often fail to stand up to it. They cower before loud, often violent voices at our expense. It is past time for us to hold them to account for the safety of our communities and the integrity of our system of justice at all levels, not just to prevent a future George Floyd incident, but to inspire confidence in our system of justice for all.
We, the people, are the ultimate jury.