Jury selection for the murder trial of ex-Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd wrapped up on Tuesday — with opening arguments in the case now due to get underway on Monday.
The jury seated in the high profile case — selected from among more than 130 potential panelists questioned over 11 days of at times contentious proceedings — is a diverse group of nine women and six men.
Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill will decide who among the 15 people selected will serve on the 12-member jury and who will be named the alternates.
One of the 15, likely the last one seated Monday, could be excused when the trial starts — with Cahill saying he wanted the 15th member in case one of the others fails to show up.
Opening arguments in the case — and the entire trial — will take place under unprecedented security at the Minnesota courthouse.
Chauvin, 44, is charged with second-degree and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death on May 25.
The jury is currently made up of three black men, three white men, one black woman, six white women, and two women who identify as multiracial.
The Hennepin County Government Center is seen as jury selection continues in the trial of former police Derek Chauvin, who is facing murder charges in the death of George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, March 22, 2021. REUTERSThe jurors are only known by numbers they were assigned for jury selection.
Here’s what we know about them, in the order they were seated:
Juror 1 — A white man in his 30s who works as a chemist and said he has an analytical mind. He said he has not seen viral video of Floyd’s death but has visited the scene.
Juror 2 — A woman of mixed race. She said she has an uncle who is in law enforcement but views Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter as part of a “bigger scheme” to sell merchandise. Was “super excited” to get the jury summons.
Juror 3 — A white man in his 30s who works as an auditor in “client services.” Said he is not worried about his safety or that of his family despite the divisive nature of the case.
Juror 4 — A black man in his 40s who came to the US 14 years ago and moved to Minneapolis in 2012, and works in information technology. Opposes defunding the police.
Juror 5 — A white woman in her 50s. She is a single mom with two teen boys and works for a nonprofit health care company. Had initial concerns about her safety.
Juror 6 — A black man in his 30s who works in banking and coaches youth sports. Said he had a favorable view of Black Lives Matter, but said he believed Chauvin had “no intention” of harming anyone during Floyd’s arrest.
Juror 7 — A white woman in her 50s. She said she has a “somewhat negative” opinion of Chauvin and that she “got the impression he didn’t care” about Floyd. But she said the ex-cop is “innocent until proven otherwise.”
Juror 8 — A black man in his 40s. Said on a jury questionnaire that he has a “neutral opinion” of Chauvin and a “somewhat favorable” opinion of Floyd.
Juror 9 — A multiracial woman in her 40s. She had read articles about jury selection in the case and knew of the civil settlement for Floyd’s family, but didn’t know the amount. Found the heightened security at the courthouse “a little unnerving.”
Juror 10 — A white woman in her 50s who works in nursing. Said she “wasn’t thrilled” when she received the jury notice. She said police keep her community safe but feels that black and minority residents are not always treated fairly by cops.
Juror 11 — A black woman in her 60s who is a recently retired grandmother who used to live about 10 blocks from the scene of Floyd’s death. She has a relative on the Minneapolis police force, but said the verdict “has to be based on the facts.”
Juror 12 — A white woman in her 40s who works in the commercial insurance industry. Said she is aware of the $27 million civil settlement for Floyd’s family but does not feel that has any bearing on the criminal case.
Juror 13 — A white woman in her 50s who recently left her job in customer service. Said the business was damaged by rioting following Floyd’s death. Has a “somewhat negative” view of Chauvin but has a general trust in the police.
Juror 14 — A white woman in her 20s who works as a social worker. She said she considers the Black Lives Matter protests over Floyd’s death in a positive light, but does not approve of the rioting. She disagrees with the notion of defunding the police.
Juror 15 — A white man who works as an accountant and describes himself as “an analytical person.” He questioned the length of time Chauvin’s knee was on Floyd’s neck but said he had a negative view of protests that “devolved” into riots after the incident.
Two other jurors had been selected but excused by the judge after they were questioned again following news of the civil settlement.
Both said the settlement had affected their ability to be impartial.
In earlier rulings, Cahill denied requests by Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, to delay the start of the trial or move it to a different venue.








