The Derek Chauvin trial for the murder of George Floyd entered day 4 on April 1, 2021. The prosecution has presented compelling bystander witnesses who witnessed Chauvin kill Mr. Floyd before their own eyes. The eyewitnesses present a story of humanity as they persistently tried to get Chauvin to take his knee off of Floyd's neck for almost ten minutes. And these witnesses who didn't know Mr. Floyd are joined together forever. The witnesses must relive the incident from the young store clerk who took the alleged $20 fake bill, the off-duty EMT- firefighter who wanted to render aid to Floyd, the elderly man who knew Chauvin from the neighborhood to the paramedic who arrived on the scene and wanted to resuscitate a lifeless Mr. Floyd "to give a him a second chance at life." Floyd's girlfriend of three years brought George Floyd to life as a person in the courtoom--beyond the ten minutes that everyone witnessed on video. She described Floyd as a good father, a good son and a good … [Read more...] about Derek Chauvin Trial Recap – Part I
LegalSpeaks Blog
Virginia Ends Death Penalty After 400 Years
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed legislation to end the death penalty in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia is the first southern state to end the death penalty and holds the dubious distinction of being the second highest state of executions with 1400 lives taken since the Colonies. The death penalty has its roots in slavery, slave patrols, lynching and Jim Crow. The good news is that Virginia becomes the 23rd state to end the death penalty. The bad news is that 27 other states still have the death penalty. Ironically, lynching was the precursor to the death penalty. Lynching events decreased as capital punishment took its place in the South. Eight in ten executions since 1976 have occurred in the South. And eight in ten lynching incidents from 1889 to 1918 were carried out in the South. Executions in Virigna were carried out by hanging for the first 300 years until 1908. The earliest form of the death penalty was the slave patrols. The earliest form of … [Read more...] about Virginia Ends Death Penalty After 400 Years
Derek Chauvin Defense versus Justice for George Floyd
A jury has been selected in the Derek Chauvin trial, the former police officer who snuffed out the life of George Floyd with his knee held on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Twelve members of the jury will decide Chauvin’s fate. Three alternates were chosen in the event that any of the twelve jurors might be excused during the trial. The jurors consist of three Black men, one Black woman, two mixed-race women and nine white jurors. It is unclear which jurors represent the initial twelve members of the jury who must weigh the evidence and decide if Chauvin committed second degree murder, third degree murder or manslaughter. The prosecution failed to charge Chauvin with first degree murder. As a former prosecutor, I have tried cases with far less evidence and received convictions of first -degree murder. Of course, my convictions were not against police officers who are rarely charged or convicted of murder or manslaughter. From 2005 to 2020, only five officers were … [Read more...] about Derek Chauvin Defense versus Justice for George Floyd
Justice for George Floyd versus Black Reality
All eyes will be focused on Minneapolis as jury selections begin March 8, 2021 in the trial of Derek Chauvin, former Minneapolis police officer, charged with second degree murder and second degree manslaughter for the death of George Floyd. On May 25, 2020 Chauvin snuffed out Floyd’s life with his knee held on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds as Floyd cried out nearly thirty times that he couldn’t breathe. Protests started the next day in cities across the country with tens of thousands of protesters and continued into the summer. Caught on video, the case appears to be a slam dunk for a conviction for the prosecution. As a former Baltimore prosecutor, I know the reality is a bitter pill to swallow. Juries rarely convict the few police officers who are charged with the murder or police brutality of unarmed Black people—despite video footage. A conviction will hinge on the jurors who are selected to hear the case. Jury selections are estimated to take several weeks. A jury … [Read more...] about Justice for George Floyd versus Black Reality
We Must Take Action in Jails to Prevent Spread of Covid-19
Like many folks, I now wake up every day to learn the latest update on the Coronavirus. I usually listen to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, as I reside in Maryland. Governor Hogan is one of the more aggressive governors in terms of earlier mandating social distance. He ordered the closure of state courts, schools, colleges and universities, bars, restaurants for sit-in dining, gyms, movies, entertainment centers, libraries and any public gathering of more than 10 persons. Governor Hogan stated inmates are safer where they reside. I thought perhaps Governor Hogan has never stepped foot inside a jail or prison. As a trial attorney, I’ve visited jails to interview clients on many occasions over the years. There is no way that an inmate can engage in social distancing of three to six feet. A one-person cell may often hold three persons. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) recommends regularly washing hands or using hand sanitizer. Alcohol, an ingredient in hand … [Read more...] about We Must Take Action in Jails to Prevent Spread of Covid-19
Crime Doesn’t Stop During the Coronavirus Crisis
As a former prosecutor, I wondered how the Coronavirus might impact crime. There are fewer folks on the streets. One might assume that crime would be down. There’s good news and also bad news on the crime front. In major cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, major crime drops occurred in recent weeks. In Los Angeles, from February 23 to March 2, the city saw a 25% drop in folks being shot. After March 17, New York city saw a 17% drop in violent crimes. Likewise, Chicago saw a 17% drop in violent crimes during the week of March 16- 22. Despite the drop, Chicago still saw 12 persons shot during this past week. All were shot outside despite Chicago’s stay in place order. The stay at home orders will see a rise in other criminal activity. With the president preferring to name the Coronavirus or Covid-19 as the China flu, cities have seen attacks on Asian Americans or on those thought to be of Asian descent. There will likely be an increase in domestic violence and child abuse … [Read more...] about Crime Doesn’t Stop During the Coronavirus Crisis