The Jury in the George Floyd Murder (Derek Chauvin) Trial
How the Jury Was Selected
The initial jury pool included 326 people, pulled at random from a list of registered voters in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Each prospective juror was assigned a randomized number when they filled out the 14-page questionnaire, which asked them about their knowledge of the case, police connections and attitudes towards the justice system as well as their media habits. During jury selection, potential jurors were questioned individually. Judge Peter Cahill dismissed prospective jurors when he determined they could not judge the case impartially or would be unable to fulfill their duties for other reasons, such as health, work, or family issues. Attorneys also motioned for the judge to dismiss jurors "for cause" when, they argued, the potential juror showed bias. In addition, both the state and the defense were given 18 "peremptory" strikes to use without providing a specific reason, though the lawyers can't dismiss jurors due to race. Judge Cahill determined to seat 14 jurors at the start of the trial, including two alternates.
The jury deliberated for nearly ten hours before reaching its verdict, finding Chauvin guilty on all three charges on April 20, 2021. The verdict was announced at 4:07 pm CDT.
On November 1, 2021, Judge Cahill released the names of the twelve jurors and two alternates.
The Jury
1. Juror No. 2 (Joseph Tillman): White man in his 20s. A chemist, passionate about his work. From Minneapolis. Enjoys bicycling, hiking, and backpacking. Said that because of his profession, “I consider myself a pretty logical person. … I rely on facts and logic and what’s in front of me. Opinion and facts are important distinctions for me.” He said he supports the Black Lives Matter movement but not the organization. "I support the message that every life should matter equally," he said. "I don't think the organization necessarily stands for that." He also added, “I think all lives matter equally.” He said he has not watched video of Floyd's death, but has seen photos. He said that he has some knowledge of the case, and talked about visiting 38th and Chicago, the intersection where Floyd died.
Juror No. 9, Journee Howard
2. Juror No. 9 (Journee Howard): Mixed/multiracial woman in her 20s. Originally from northern Minnesota. She said was “super excited” to receive her jury summons: “It’s a very important case, not just for Hennepin County … but nationwide.” Like many of the other prospective jurors interviewed, she said viewing video of Floyd’s arrest left her with a “somewhat negative impression of Mr. Chauvin." But she said she feels she can make an impartial decision based on the evidence. She said she believes that both Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter have turned into marketing schemes. She has an uncle who is a police officer, but has no regular contact with him except holiday gatherings or when she gets a ticket. She said having a family member in law enforcement will not affect her impartiality. She said, "Everything is not black and white." After the trial, Juror No. 9 agreed to be interviewed and revealed herself to be Journee Howard, age 25, who interrupted her modeling and acting career to serve as a juror in the Floyd case. Howard said she was most swayed by witness Dr. Martin Tobin ("he was very, very convincing") and Police Chief Arradondo (she said she was "shocked" by the Chief's "blunt" criticism of Chauvin's actions. Howard also said she found the bodycam videos, which included audio, stronger evidence of Chauvin's guilt than the famous Frazier video. Howard praised the judge ("I think Judge Cahill was great") and said theat "jurors were a lot more in sync than any of us expected."
3. Juror No. 19 (Tyler Burkhardt, foreperson): White man in his 30s. The third juror seated was a white man in his 30s who works as an auditor. He described himself as an honest and straightforward person. He said he works in client services and has to resolve conflicts frequently. He said he approaches those situations through conversation, and learning what both sides are looking for. He uses more facts than emotions. He described his view of Chauvin as “somewhat negative” because he did not attempt to resuscitate Floyd, but said he can weigh both sides and will have no problem finding Chauvin not guilty if the state does not meet the burden of proof. He said, "Someone died, and obviously that's not a positive thing." He said he has watched the bystander video two or three times, but not in full. Prosecutors pressed the juror on answers in his juror questionnaire in which he wrote that Floyd had “hard drugs” in his system when he died and a “checkered past.” Asked “What would you describe as ‘hard drugs’?”, he said "anything beyond marijuana." Then he added, “What happened in the past shouldn’t be on trial here.” He said he supports Black Lives Matter in a general context and has some unfavorable views of Blue Lives Matter. JUROR 19 WAS CHOSEN AS FOREPERSON OF THE JURY.
4. Juror No. 27 (Abel Sessofia): Black man in his 30s. IT manager. Married with no children. Immigrated to the U.S. 14 years ago, and moved to Minnesota in 2012. He used to live near the intersection where Floyd died. He told of watching the Floyd video and discussing with his wife how "it could have been me or anyone else." He added that he “strongly” disagrees with defunding the police. He said the police made him feel safer and believed that accounts of police brutality were somewhat overstated in the media. He said “all lives matter,” but “Black lives matter even more because they are marginalized.” He said he was surprised and anxious about potentially being a juror, though he believes it is his civic duty. He noted that property damage from rioting following George Floyd's death put his wife out of work.
5. Juror No. 44 (Nicole Spader): White woman in her 50s. Works as an executive at a health-care focused non-profit. She said she enjoys spending time outdoors. She said she has an “analytical mind.” She said the video gave her a "somewhat negative" impression of Chauvin and added that "bad police behavior has to go." She said she had empathy for Floyd's family as well as the four officers. "Everyone's lives are changed by this incident," she said. The defense questioned her about her belief that systemic racism is an issue in the criminal justice system, and that people are treated differently due to the color of their skin. She also said she believes that people have "implicit bias" that impacts the way they view the world. The prosecution questioned her about her strong views on the harmful impact of drugs, and about her statement, "I believe that humans are inherently good." They said she will be asked to determine intent, and potentially ill intent, in Chauvin's actions. She said she can set aside her opinions to do that.
6. Juror No. 52 (Brandon Mitchell): African-American man in his 30s. Works in banking and coaches youth sports. He enjoys creative writing. He said, "I don't think [Chauvin] had any intention of harming anybody, but somebody did die. ... Somebody could have still intervened and stop it." He described himself as “majorly into sports,” writing and music. Asked if he knew anything about the civil litigation around George Floyd’s death, he said no. He said he deals with conflict regularly as a coach, mediating disputes with parents. He said he allows each person to “get their voice heard” and “see if they can come to a common ground or agree to disagree.” He told the defense that he is “neutral” about Chauvin because he doesn’t know his thought process, and that he thinks George Floyd looked like a regular guy. He said he thinks discrimination is “well beyond what the media can even report,” and said he supports Black Lives Matter. He told the defense that he has personally witnessed Minneapolis police officers use what he saw as excessive force, but he also said he goes to the gym with officers who are “great guys.” The prosecution asked him about a statement he made that no one had an intent for someone to die. They said he will have to judge intent, and put aside that presumption. “I don’t think it would be that difficult at all,” he said. Asked by the prosecution what he thinks of people who use drugs, he said that’s something they struggle with but “they’re still just like anybody else.” Mitchell agreed to be interviewed by CBS's Gayle King after the trial was over. Asked whether the jury felt pressured by the community to reach a jury verdict, Mitchell said “I don’t think any of us felt like that, I for sure did not.” Mitchell revealed the initial vote on manslaughter was 11 to 1, with one juror uncertain about how to interpret language in the instructions. Mitchell also said that the most important prosecution witness was Dr. Martin Tobin: “I thought he just broke it down in a manner that was easy for all the jurors to understand, and I didn’t think that there wasn’t any way for the defense to come back after that. To me, the case was done at that point almost.”
(A short time later, a photo surfaced showing Mitchell attending an August 2021 rally in Washington, D.C. commemorating Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The event included advocating for racial justice, increasing voter registration, urging participation in the 2020 census, but it also focused on police treatment of blacks and use of excessive force. The picture shows Mitchell wearing a Black T-shirt with a picture of King surrounded by the words, “GET YOUR KNEE OFF OUR NECKS” and “BLM” (Black Lives Matter).
The juror’s attendance at the event could raise an issue appeal for the defense. Mitchell explained his decision to attend, saying, “The opportunity to go to D.C., the opportunity to be around thousands and thousands of Black people; I just thought it was a good opportunity to be a part of something.” Mitchell said he answered “no” to a question in the juror questionnaire sent out before jury selection that asked about participation in demonstrations. The question asked, “Other than what you have already described above, have you, or anyone close to you, participated in protests about police use of force or police brutality?” Mitchell’s answer to that question provides the possible ground for appeal. Was attendance at the D.C. event “participation in a protest” and was the broadly-focused rally “about police use of force or police brutality?” It’s debatable.)
7. Juror No. 55 (Jodi Doud): White woman in her 50s. Single parent. Works as an executive assistant in a clinical health care setting and regularly tries to resolve patient issues. She told attorneys she couldn't watch the entire Floyd video "because it was too disturbing to me." But she also added, in regard to the defendant, "He's innocent until we can prove otherwise." She said she rides a motorcycle in honor of her late husband. The prosecution asked her if she has gone to Sturgis, and she said not in a long time. She said she believes all lives matter and responded on her questionnaire that she has a neutral or slightly negative view of Black Lives Matter. Asked whether she had ever witnessed police use excessive force, she described seeing police respond too aggressively to a boy with a water bottle in his hand last summer. That boy was white, she told the prosecution. She said she has trust in the police “until they show me something different” but that she will be able to give the word of a bystander equal weight when witnesses testify at trial. She said, "I'm not in a position to change the law. I'm in a position to uphold the law."
8. Juror No. 79 (Tossa Edorh): Black man in his 40s. Works in a management capacity. He said when resolving disputes, he listens to both sides and follows company policy. Immigrated to the U.S. and has lived in the Twin Cities for about 20 years. Father who lives in the suburbs. He said he was once the victim of a home burglary. He said he "trusts the police" and opposes police defunding. He said he saw part of the bystander video of George Floyd under Chauvin's knee, two or three times. He said he has a neutral opinion of Chauvin, and a "somewhat positive" impression of Floyd. He said he has not formed an opinion about who is responsible for Floyd's death, and can set everything he knows aside. He said he "somewhat agrees" that Black people do not receive equal treatment in the criminal justice system, and "strongly agrees" that police make him feel safe. He said he has a "somewhat favorable" view of both Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter, saying that he believes every life matters. The prosecution asked him about a comment he made on his questionnaire, saying that if you cannot breathe, you say you cannot breathe. He said if someone doesn't cooperate with police, the police officers should still have to follow the law and proper procedure.
9. Juror No. 85 (Tiffany Schultz): Mixed/multiracial woman in her 40s. Married (and bigtime hockey fan). Works as a consultant helping corporations improve personnel practices and with corporate reorganizations. The woman said she viewed news of the civil settlement as irrelevant: “I don’t think that declares guilt one way or the other. I think people settle suits for many other reasons.” On her questionnaire, she said she has a "somewhat negative" opinion of Chauvin based on what she's seen on the news. She has a neutral opinion of Floyd, and does not know whether or not Chauvin caused his death. She has only seen parts of the bystander video, and said she can put aside what she saw. Questioned by the defense, she said she has a neutral opinion of both Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter. Questioned by the state, she said she has strong faith in police but believes they do not treat Black Americans equally based on what she's seen on the news. She said it is important to cooperate with police.
10. Juror No. 89 (Kelly Tapper): White woman in her 50s. She enjoys reading and watching television. Works as a nurse who said she works with a lot of ventilated patients and cares for COVID patients. Before that, she did cardiac care. She has never worked in an ER but has resuscitated patients before. The defense asked her several questions about whether her personal medical training will "bias" the way she listens to medical evidence. “We all use our life experiences to make judgments,” she said. Judge Cahill told her “One of the elements of a fair trial is that we’re all working off the same script. You can’t be the expert witness in the jury room. ... You cannot add to the evidence with your own expert opinion." She said she could follow those instructions. She said she believes discrimination against Black people and minorities is worse than the media portrays it to be, and that the justice system does not treat everyone equally. She said she “somewhat disagrees” with defunding the Minneapolis Police Department. “I believe the police have a job to do and for the most part it gets done, so they need money for that.”
11. Juror No. 91 (Sherri Hardeman): African-American woman in her 60s. Retired, formerly worked in marketing. Grandmother. She said she will be able to handle conflict in the jury room. “Absolutely, I feel like I do it every day with two grandkids," she told the defense. She said that when she received her summons, she was excited to fulfill her civic duty. Her undergraduate degree was in child psychology and she told the prosecution she has worked with underserved children in her retirement. She said she has no personal experience with the criminal justice system being fair or unfair, but believes in general that Black people and white people do not receive equal treatment. She said she has a favorable opinion of Black Lives Matter, saying, "I am Black; my life matters." She has a neutral opinion of Derek Chauvin because there are two sides to every story and she just knows the surface. She said she knows an officer on the Minneapolis police force, and that she heard about the civil settlement between the city and George Floyd's family, but that neither of those things will impact her impartiality.
12. Juror No. 92 (Kelly Preston): White woman in her 40s. Works in insurance and said she loves her job. She has a bachelor’s degree in communication. She said she has not seen the bystander video of George Floyd in its entirety. She said she believes that there is discrimination in the criminal justice system against Black people and other minorities, but also said that police make her feel safe and she has strong respect for them. “I’ve had some friends who have been treated differently because of their race,” she said. She said she has a somewhat favorable view of Black Lives Matter but is not involved in the movement herself. She also said she had a “very favorable” view of Blue Lives Matter. She said she would be “terrified” if the police departments were dismantled, but she believes change needs to happen. The prosecution asked her about a comment she made about George Floyd having a criminal record. She said she believed he had been “involved with drugs.” She said drug use would give her pause if she needed to trust the person using drugs. “That doesn’t make them a bad person,” she said. “It would just make me cautious.”
13. Juror No. 96 (Lisa Christensen): White woman in her 50s. Worked in customer service. Says she is an animal lover (“especially dogs”) and passionate about fair housing and ending homelessness. She said she saw the bystander video of Floyd’s arrest and wrote in her juror questionnaire months ago, “This restraint was ultimately responsible for Mr. Floyd’s demise.” She pledged to presume Chauvin innocent. During questioning, she said that her workplace (which was not specified) was damaged during civil unrest. She does not, however, think that fact would make her biased. She said she does not like the way MPD has handled homeless people in Minneapolis, but does not harbor any ill will towards the department. She said she heard about the settlement, but doesn't think it'll affect her ability to stay impartial. She said she has a somewhat negative opinion of Chauvin and a neutral opinion of Floyd. On her questionnaire, the juror said she believes the police treat Black people and white people equally. Asked for more information by the state, she said her questionnaire response was based on situations she's witnessed. She said of Black Lives Matter, people have a right to stand up for themselves and ask for change. She expressed similar views of Blue Lives Matter and said she believes people need law enforcement. ALTERNATE: NOT MEMBER OF FINAL JURY.
Lisa Christensen consented to be interviewed after the verdict. She told "CBS This Morning" that she believed Chauvin was guilty and would have voted to convict. Asked why she thought so, Christensen said, "I just felt like the prosecution made a really good, strong argument. Dr. Tobin was the one that really did it for me. He explained everything. I understood it down to where he said this is the moment that he lost his life, really got to me." Asked what she thought of Chauvin's defense lawyer, Eric Nelson, Christensen said, "I think he over-promised in the beginning and didn't live up to what he said he was going to do."
14. Juror No. 118 (Nicole Williams): White woman in her 20s. Newlywedwith a new puppy. A social worker whose clients are coping with mental health difficulties. She says that her profession has provided her with the ability to be empathetic and open-minded about people. "I'm always thinking about the person and where he came from," she said. She wondered why Chauvin acted as he did. "Was it his training?" she said. As for Floyd, she said, "I'm always looking at why someone has done something a certain way. … I had all kinds of thoughts of him … his past with drugs and things like that. I had every emotion." She said, "Mr. Chauvin's side is his presumption of innocence. That is what I meant by that." Asked whether she works with clients who have abused drugs, she said she has worked with some. She added that she doesn't judge people based on that alone. She said she heard of the city's settlement with the Floyd family, but doesn't know much about it and doesn't think it would affect her judgment in the case. Asked by the defense about how she would handle a dispute, she said hearing all sides is important but that she stands her ground. She saw clips of the bystander video four or five times on the news. She said her opinion of Chauvin is between somewhat negative and neutral. Asked about her opinion of Floyd, she said she'd heard about both good and bad things. During questioning by the defense, she said she thinks some aspects of law enforcement should be changed but that she doesn't think police should be defunded. While she feels safe with police, she said she would not give officer testimony more weight than other testimony. ALTERNATE: NOT MEMBER OF FINAL JURY.
Excerpt from a Story on the Racial Diversity of the Chauvin Jury
(Minneapolis Star Tribune, 3/22/2021):
. . . .Several observers described the jury as atypically diverse.
St. Paul defense attorney A.L. Brown agreed, saying, “It’s certainly a good thing, but this is a unicorn jury given the level of diversity that you see in it.”
Ted Sampsell-Jones, a professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, said the diversity is good and “I think it should give some people more confidence that this will be a fair process.”
Brown, Sampsell-Jones and Joseph Daly, emeritus professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, praised the work of the defense, prosecution and judge in sorting out bias and picking suitable jurors.
“Maybe we just lucked out in terms of getting a broad cross-section of people on the jury. … It does surprise me, and I’m glad,” Daly said.
Brown said the jury makeup could add legitimacy to the verdict.
“There’s a possibility that Mr. Chauvin could be acquitted, and if so, then what do we make of that if it’s an all-white jury?” Brown said. “I can tell you that the community would not rest well with that. I think it certainly helps” that several people of color are on the jury.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Black people make up nearly 14% of residents in Hennepin County while whites make up about 74%. The jury makeup is about 31% Black, 54% white and 15% multiracial.
“Anyone who’s tried a case in Hennepin or Ramsey County knows you’re not going to find six people of color on one jury. … I don’t know how that came to be,” Brown said.