Thread by @UR_Ninja

Jury Questionnaire for Chauvin Trial Raises Concern About Racial Bias in Jury Selection Process - unicornriot.ninja/2021/black-liv…

The jury questionnaire for the #DerekChauvinTrial is a total of 69 questions. Two of them have provided a center basis for the questioning: “How favorable or unfavorable are you about #BlackLivesMatter” and “How favorable or unfavorable are you about #BlueLivesMatter.”

The jury questionnaire serves as somewhat of a prerequisite for the attorneys to determine if people would be able to serve as impartial jurors, but the way the attorneys expound upon these questions during voir dire examination has many raising an eyebrow at the system.

Although jury questionnaires for murder trials can be tailored trial-by-trial, many legal experts say they haven’t seen questions as polarizing as are in the questionnaire for the #DerekChauvinTrial.

Story: unicornriot.ninja/2021/black-liv…

A potential juror was not selected after admitting their wife attended a protest. Another has been sent home for having “strong views on social justice issues”.

Meanwhile, multiple jurors were selected with close relationships to law enforcement. #DerekChauvinTrial

It’s hard to say exactly how the prosecution and defense are weighing responses to these questions in their decision to select people for the jury.

What has come to light through this proceeding is the embedded racism in the jury selection process itself. #DerekChauvinTrial

“Black people are not going to be able to get on this jury, not honest Black people,” said journalist Mel Reeves during an interview with Unicorn Riot on the Thursday lunch break of the #DerekChauvinTrial proceedings.

Trial coverage: unicornriot.ninja/derek-chauvin-…

Reeves’ remarks come after an African-American female juror was sent home for saying she couldn’t unsee what she saw in the video of #GeorgeFloyd’s death. Mel questions who can unsee something they have seen?

[Content warning-Vid of killing & MPD presser]

The #DerekChauvinTrial jury questionnaire also draws out individual’s personal experiences with law enforcement which could also serve as a barrier for Black people to be seated on this jury.

On the topic of experiences with police - According to data from the @MinneapolisPD, despite the city being predominantly white, Black and East African drivers accounted for 78% of police searches from June 2019 through May 2020.

Source link: tableau.minneapolismn.gov/views/MPDStopD…

@MinneapolisPD #PhilandoCastile, who was killed by police in Roseville, MN, had been pulled over 44 times by the time he was 30. With that kind of culture as a framework to pull from for jury selection, it may be hard to find Black people who haven’t had unfavorable interactions with police.

*Correction: Castile was killed in Falcon Heights, MN, a few blocks away from Roseville.

Furthering the discussion on the importance of the jury selection process and those seated, several pro-police jurors sat on the jury of former St. Anthony Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez when he was acquitted of murdering #PhilandoCastile.

https://twitter.com/UR_Ninja/status/1370046849932009474

Outside of the #DerekChauvinTrial jury questionnaire, defense attorney Nelson admitted to several potential jurors he has looked at their social media accounts. This has also served as a tool to determine people’s views on social issues.

Several jurors have been asked about their visits to the site where #GeorgeFloyd died, asking why they visited and why they shared it on social media.

For an inside look at #GeorgeFloydSquare, see our mini-documentary #BeyondTheBarricades. unicornriot.ninja/2021/beyond-th…

The questionnaire for the potential jury in the #DerekChauvinTrial has raised many eyebrows.

Meanwhile, 7 of 14 jurors have been selected for the jury.

Although 3 have close relations with police, nearly all have answered they believe #BlackLivesMatter unicornriot.ninja/2021/black-liv…