A jury of 14 people has been selected in Derek Chauvin’s trial in the death of George Floyd, and while the jurors are unnamed and unseen on camera, we do know basic details about them.
Five men and nine women have been chosen to serve on the jury during the trial in Minneapolis. Of the 14 jurors, eight are White, four are Black and two are mixed race, according to information released by the court.
Two of the jurors — both White women — were chosen only as alternates and so were dismissed by the judge prior to deliberations.
The jury selection process began March 9 at the Hennepin County Government Center and wrapped up Tuesday, exactly two weeks later. The panel will ultimately be made up of 12 jurors and two alternates.
Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin, a White former Minneapolis Police officer, placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for an extended period while Floyd pleaded, “I can’t breathe.” His final moments were captured on video, and his death led to widespread protests against police brutality and racism under the banner Black Lives Matter as well as incidents of unrest and looting.
Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to second-degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter charges. He has also pleaded not guilty to third-degree murder, which was reinstated in the case on March 11.
If convicted, Chauvin could face up to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder, up to 25 years for third-degree murder, and up to 10 years for second-degree manslaughter. The charges are to be considered separate, so Chauvin could be convicted of all, some or none of them.
Opening statements are expected to start March 29, followed by testimony that could take about four weeks.
Floyd family attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci said in a statement they were pleased the jury had been set. “After hearing the facts, we hope and expect the jury to deliver a just verdict,” they said.
Three other former officers — Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao — are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. They are expected to stand trial this summer. All four ex-officers are out on bail.
Who was selected
The jurors in Chauvin’s case all come from Hennepin County, which is demographically about 74% White and 14% Black, according to census data.
The prospective jurors previously completed a 16-page questionnaire that asked for their personal thoughts on Black Lives Matter, policing and other topics. In court, each person was sworn in and then questioned one-by-one in a process known as voir dire. The juror’s name, address and other information are kept anonymous.
Eric Nelson questioned the prospective jurors for the defense, while Steve Schleicher questioned them for the prosecution.
The first juror selected is a White man in his 20s or 30s who works as a chemist and said he has an analytical mind.
The second juror is a woman of mixed race who appears to be in her 20s or 30s, according to a pool reporter’s observations in court. She said she was “super excited” about getting the jury questionnaire form.
The third juror selected is a White man in his 30s who works as an auditor. He said he supports Black Lives Matter in the general context but doesn’t like everything they have done.
The fourth juror selected is a Black man in his 30s or 40s who moved to the US 14 years ago and works in information technology. He said that he had a “somewhat negative” opinion of Chauvin, that he strongly disagreed with defunding the police and that police make him feel safe.
The fifth juror is a White woman in her 50s, according to the court. She said she has a “somewhat negative” impression of Chauvin, and believes there are biases against African Americans but not everyone in the system is bad. She said she felt empathy for Floyd as well as the officers because “at the end of the day I’m sure that the intention was not there for this to happen.”
The sixth juror chosen is a Black man in his 30s, according to the court, who said he had very favorable views of Black Lives Matter. He also said he thought Chauvin had “no intention” of harming anyone, but he said he could put that opinion aside in this case.
The seventh juror selected is a White woman in her 50s, according to the court. She had a “somewhat negative” impression of Chauvin and wrote she “got the impression he didn’t care about” Floyd.
The eighth juror selected is a Black man in his 40s who works in management. He said he had a neutral opinion of Chauvin and had a “somewhat favorable” view of both Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter.
The ninth juror is a woman of multiple/mixed race in her 40s who said she has a “somewhat negative” opinion of Chauvin, but feels safe because of police in her neighborhood, the court said. The court initially incorrectly stated her race as White, but she identifies as multiple/mixed race.
The 10th juror is a White woman in her 50s who works as a nurse. She said police in her community make her feel safe, but she noted Black and minority people are not always treated fairly in the criminal justice system.
The 11th juror is a Black woman and grandmother in her 50s or 60s who once lived about 10 blocks from where Floyd died. She has a relative that is a Minneapolis Police officer, and said she somewhat agrees that Black people are not always treated fairly in the criminal justice system.
The 12th juror is a White woman in her 40s who works in commercial insurance. She has a healthy respect for police officers and a somewhat favorable opinion of Black Lives Matter.
The 13th juror is a White woman in her 50s. Until recently, she worked in customer service in a suburban business that was damaged in the unrest after Floyd’s death. She said she had a “somewhat negative” view of Chauvin, but generally trusts police and believes people who follow their instructions have nothing to fear. This juror was an alternate and was dismissed prior to deliberations.
The 14th juror is a White woman in her 20s who works as a social worker. She said she had neutral views of Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter and strongly disagrees with defunding the police. This juror was an alternate and was dismissed prior to deliberations.
A 15th juror — a White man in his 20s who works as an accountant — was chosen in case of an absence but was excused prior to the start of opening statements.
Who was excused
During the questioning, the defense and prosecution were able to ask the court to dismiss prospective jurors for cause if they believed the person could not be fair and impartial.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys were also able to dismiss prospective jurors without cause, using what’s called a peremptory challenge. Chauvin’s team was allowed 18 of these challenges and used 14. The prosecution was allowed 10 and used eight.
The defense generally used its strikes on people who expressed negative views of Chauvin and positive views of Black Lives Matter, while the prosecution has generally used its strikes on White people who expressed support for police.
Two men who had initially been selected to be on the jury were later excused after they told the court that mid-trial news of Minneapolis’s $27 million settlement with Floyd’s estate affected their ability to be impartial.
