Image Credit: Dreamstime 187159758

By Dave Barry

Armchair Mayor

ROTHENBURGER: Court of public opinion convicted Derek Chauvin long before jury did

Apr 21, 2021 | 4:22 AM

DEREK CHAUVIN was found guilty in the court of public opinion long before the judge read the verdicts at the end of his trial yesterday. The ex-Minneapolis police officer was convicted on charges of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd that occurred almost a year ago, and is likely to spend decades in prison.

Based on the evidence presented during the two-week trial, the verdicts were just but the process left much to be desired.

The case has been a social time bomb from the start, when cellphone video was posted of Floyd’s arrest and the now-infamous nine minutes-plus of Chauvin’s knee on Floyd’s back and neck.

Expectations of more rioting if the “wrong” verdict or verdicts were rendered caused cities across the U.S. to batten down. Chauvin’s convictions avoided a scenario of civil violence almost too frightening to contemplate.

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Culturally appropriate food goes beyond the ingredients on a plate

14h ago

Two and Out

PETERS: Whether building up or tearing down, Kamloops is what you make it

Dec 13, 2024

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: How to reduce food waste in Kamloops during the festive season

Dec 13, 2024

But while the verdict was correct, news media made certain it was also the only one that would have been acceptable to an incensed public.

The major television networks made no secret of their bias, displaying not a shred of objectivity, trashing the defense case day after day and praising the prosecution.

Whether we like it or not, Chauvin’s defence team put up a plausible argument about what went wrong — George Floyd’s bad heart, his opioid addiction, his refusal to comply with police orders — but no one wanted to hear it.

“Believe your eyes,” said the prosecutors and, indeed, copious video evidence made it almost impossible to consider anything that happened before those nine minutes.

And, finally, the trial took place against the backdrop of ongoing police violence against African Americans, which the Chauvin case symbolized.

“Innocent until proven guilty” is an important principle but Chauvin’s case shows how hard it can be to live up to. Despite that, he got a fair trial and a just verdict, and for that much we can be thankful.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

—

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.