How to Prepare for a Minnesota Criminal Trial and Negotiate with Prosecutors at the Same Time.
It’s coming up on a year since George Floyd died on Chicago and 38th in South Minneapolis under the knee of Derek Chauvin. Former Minneapolis Police Officer Chauvin is scheduled for trial in March and his three co-defendant former Minneapolis Police Officers are scheduled to be tried sometime in the summer for aiding and abetting.
The New York Times is reporting that very early on, there were negotiations to plead this case out to 3rd Degree Murder with around 10 years to serve. It has also been reported that U.S. Attorney General Barr scuttled the deal.
Negotiate while you prepare.
I will appear on WCCO Radio in Minneapolis this morning with Dave Lee to discuss how plea negotiations work, why there might be an effort to plead something out so early and what happens when there is pressure that comes both from State prosecutors and the Feds. I will also discuss the necessity to always be prepared to go to trial while at the very same time try to negotiate settlement. In the end, giving your client ultimate flexibility is a part of the job and critical to providing a customized and nimble defense. Otherwise, you may hamstring your client.
This case presents challenges seen by few others.
This case presents series of challenges. Obviously, the video speaks for itself. However, I am talking about the publicity that went worldwide insures that every potential juror will walk through the door with preconceived notions regarding of whether they are willing to admit it or not. In fact, if they don’t I might actually be more afraid of them. In addition, the world has become even more politically divided than anytime I can recall. This will certainly impact how some approach this case. Finally, in the COVID world, it has changed how the criminal justice system operates and increases the challenges to connect with juries which was never easy in the first place.
If you are facing criminal charges here in Minnesota and don’t know where to turn, we here at Jack Rice Defense will sit down with you to talk about your options. Just know that Jack has your back.