Media PA Murder Defense Lawyer Explores Legal Strategies From the Chauvin Trial – Day 5

Check out the legal commentary on the George Floyd / Derek Chauvin trial. DAY 5 from last Friday, 4.02.2021

Questions-

• Questions- Was the testimony from the longest-serving officer impactful?
• What have been the strategies so far after 5 days of testimony?
• The defense is implying a different interpretation of the video, how will that play out?

Tune in again tonight, 4.05.2021 at approximately 7:15 pm for the latest legal commentary.

Video transcript

Host:
Police procedure took center stage during today’s testimony in the Derek Chauvin murder trial. The longest-serving member of the Minneapolis Police Department took the stand and called the use of force against George Floyd “totally unnecessary.” Both the prosecution and the defense pressed Lieutenant Richard Zimmerman on the events surrounding Floyd’s death. Zimmerman testified that in his career, he has never been trained to put his knee across a suspect’s neck, especially if that suspect is handcuffed. Chauvin is accused of kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. Zimmerman said that use of force is contingent on the threat perceived by the officers. The Minneapolis Police Department policy allows an officer to use whatever means necessary to protect themselves and others, right?

Enrique Latoison:
Yes, the trial gets back underway Monday morning. We’re expecting to hear testimony from the Chief of Police and also the Medical Examiner.

Host:
And here to break this down for us is NBC legal analyst Enrique Latoison. Enrique, we just heard from that officer who said Chauvin’s actions were totally unnecessary. How powerful is this testimony?

Enrique Latoison:
Well, this is two days in a row. Yesterday, they had a sergeant testify who broke down the critical thinking of what an officer is supposed to do and how they’re supposed to base their actions on what’s happening at the time. Today, you have the Lieutenant, the longest-serving member of that police department, and what he focused on was the fact that Floyd was handcuffed. When someone is handcuffed, there’s never a reason to apply this kind of force. His testimony was extremely powerful because he emphasized that there’s no justification for keeping a knee on someone’s neck when they’re handcuffed and lying face down.

Host:
This was Day 5 of the trial, and there’s been a lot to take in. For people who can’t sit and watch the entire thing, can you summarize what you’ve seen from each side so far?

Enrique Latoison:
I would say both sides are sticking to their plans, staying on script. In fact, the judge even noted that they’re ahead of schedule because both the prosecution and defense have been moving along as expected. The prosecution is focusing on proving that Floyd died from the officer’s actions and that this was not proper police procedure. On the other hand, the defense is arguing that Floyd didn’t die at the scene, that external factors like the crowd delayed medical treatment, and they’re also suggesting that someone in a semi-conscious state could become a threat again.

Host:
The defense seems to be suggesting that Chauvin’s knee wasn’t on Floyd’s neck. What are your thoughts on that?

Enrique Latoison:
Well, the jury is going to look at this video and come to their own conclusions based on the evidence. People assume a video shows everything, but it can be interpreted in different ways. The defense is leaning towards an argument that Chauvin’s knee wasn’t directly on Floyd’s neck, but rather on his shoulder. They’re framing it as if placing pressure on someone’s shoulder while handcuffing them might be acceptable. But ultimately, the jury will decide based on their interpretation of the video.

Host:
NBC legal analyst Enrique Latoison, thank you for your insights all week. We appreciate it. Happy Easter.

Enrique Latoison:
Same to you.