For the Chauvin Trial, the Courtroom Takes on a Whole New Look.

The Derek Chauvin trial is scheduled to begin and Minneapolis is taking a deep breath. Jury selection begins on March 8th and is expected to go for as long as three weeks.  The Defense and State will pick twelve jurors and up to four alternates.  The trial is scheduled to begin on March 29th and should go for several weeks or more.  

The Courtroom that they will use in the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis has been fundamentally reconfigured and modified since George Floyd died under the knee of Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020 in South Minneapolis. The moves were made because of the extraordinary public interest in the case, massive media interest, but also because of COVID and even because of the size of the prosecution and defense teams.

If you are facing serious criminal charges in Minnesota, contact Jack Rice Defense for a free consultation.

The Bench

Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill will sit on the bench against the back wall of the courtroom with his clerk to his immediate right. To his immediate left will be the witness box.  The Court reporter will be placed in front of the bench to hear all parties. This is sometimes called “the Well”. All will be separated by safety glass newly installed because of COVID.

 The Jury 

There will be no “jury box” which has been typical in American courtrooms forever.  Instead, there will be 16 chairs in two row’s against the wall to the left of the Judge. They will be spread out because of COVID. However, this distance may also create a feeling of isolation between the individual jurors. This psychological effect may be something to think about. Will they feel like a group or like individuals?  In this case, there will be twelve jurors and four alternates in the event that one or more of the individual jurors can’t finish the trial.

Prosecution and Defense Teams

There will be space for four members of the prosecution time in two tables separated by glass and the same for the defense along with Derek Chauvin. Matt Frank from the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office is lead counsel for the State.  Eric Nelson is lead counsel for the Defense. All tables will be located in the center of the Courtroom and likely a substantial distance from the jurors. It will be interesting to note how those tables will be orientated because frequently one set is a little better than the other and both teams will actually be vying for better position.  

Reporters, Observers, etc.

Against the wall where the entryway doors are located opposite the Judge will be seats for observers, reporters, etc. The State gets one chair for an observer. This may likely be one members of the Floyd family. The Defense gets one chair for a Chauvin supporter.  There will be two chairs for pool reporters, and one chair for a technical person. The rest of the reporters will be held in an adjacent building not attached directly to the Courthouse itself.

Cameras

There will be multiple but unobtrusive cameras in the courtroom.  Because of technology, these shouldn’t have much of a physical presence but that doesn’t mean that they might not impact behavior in the courtroom itself.  One camera will face the Judge and witness on the stand.  Once will face the Prosecution and Defense teams and another will likely show the courtroom as a whole.  It should be noted that the Jury will not be shown and their identities with not be disclosed until after the trial is complete.

Jury selection begins on March 8th and is expected to go for as long as three weeks.  They will pick twelve jurors and up to four alternates.  The trial is scheduled to begin on March 29th and should go for several weeks or more.  

Jack Rice is a former prosecutor, Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist and criminal defense attorney in Minneapolis who has tried cases in this courthouse and across the state of Minnesota. Contact Jack Rice Defense for a Free Consultation.