The Derek Chauvin George Floyd Murder Trial.

[forqalso]

Floyd was being arrested over a $20 fraud charge by someone accused of tax fraud for unreported income of over $450,000.  If you get the death penalty without a trial for passing; perhaps unwittingly, a fake twenty, what would be the proportional penalty for the person that willingly used fraud to avoid paying $38,000 in taxes (1900 times greater than the fake twenty)?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53508640

[nampla69]

Following the above link (many thanks) I came across this:

Mr Chauvin is already in jail in connection with Mr Floyd's death but Ms Chauvin is not in custody. The Laos-born former Mrs Minnesota winner filed for divorce following Mr Floyd's death.

Bet she was a looker ...... kind of off topic but ...

[lazarus]

2 minutes ago, nampla69 said:

Following the above link (many thanks) I came across this:

Mr Chauvin is already in jail in connection with Mr Floyd's death but Ms Chauvin is not in custody. The Laos-born former Mrs Minnesota winner filed for divorce following Mr Floyd's death.

Bet she was a looker ...... kind of off topic but ...

 Dumped him faster than you can say,

"no money, no honey..."

[Evil Penevil]

It's really, really important to check original sources regarding the George Floyd case.  The Internet is swimming in deliberate disinformation.

There's no question that George Floyd attempted to use a counterfeit bill at the convenience store.  The big unanswered question for me is, "Where did he get the counterfeit bills?"  I haven't seen any news coverage that addressed that point.

  This is a photo from the inside of the car where GF had been sitting.

You can read a summary of the trial testimony by the cashier who accepted the bill here:  Cashier Says He Offered To Pay After Realizing Floyd's $20 Bill Was Fake

An excerpt from the article:

"Before the police were called, Martin and his co-workers made two trips to the SUV that Floyd was sitting in outside Cup Foods, trying to get him to come back to the store, Martin said. He recalled telling Floyd and his friends that the bill Floyd had just used was fake, and that his boss wanted to talk to him.

But Floyd and the other occupants, a man and a woman, refused to return to the store, he added. After the first attempt, Martin went back to his manager.

'I'd offered to pay, but he said no, just tell them to come back inside,' Martin told the jury.

After Floyd and his friends again refused to return to the store, Martin testified, his manager told another co-worker to call the police."

EP note:  If George Floyd had gone back inside the store, he'd probably be alive today.

YouTube video of the testimony:

And a lengthier version that includes the lead-up to GF's purchase of the cigarettes:

This is a link to the transcript of the 911 call from the store about the counterfeit bill.  There are other documents relating to the case on this page:

May 25, 2020 officer-involved death

Two articles from 2020 that mention the counterfeit bill:

Counterfeit $20 bill now part of George Floyd murder case

'All from a counterfeit bill': What we know about fake currency and George Floyd's death

Another big area of confusionsurrounds GF's conviction for home invasion robbery in 2009.  The victim's name is Aracely Henriquez. She and her partner Angel Negrete were able to identify photographs of George Floyd.  They remembered him because he had been the first of the six perps to enter their home and also the largest.  You can read about this "probable clause" statement in the indictment of GF in the link  Indictment for the 2007 Home Invasion Robbery .  It states in part:

"Affiant met with Aracely Henriquez, Complainant #1, and Angel Negrete, Complainant #2, who are both credible and reliable persons, who advised him that on August 9, 2007, they, along with Amanda Negrete (1 yoa),were all inside their residence at 8710 Glenhouse Court when they heard a knock on the front door. As Complainant Henriquez looked out the front window, she observed a black male dressed in a blue uniform who told her that he was with the water department.
"As Complainant Henriquez opened the door, she immediately realized that this person was not with the water department and attempted to close the door. However, this male held the door open and prevented her from doing so.
"At this time, a black Ford Explorer pulled up in front of the Complainants' residence and five other black males exited this vehicle and proceeded to the front door.
The largest of these suspects forced his way into the residence, placed a pistol against the complainants abdomen, and forced her into the living room area of the residence. This large suspect then proceeded to search the residence while another armed suspect guarded the complainant, who was struck in the head and side areas by this second armed suspect with his pistol after she screamed for help. As the suspects looked through the residence, they demanded to know where the drugs and money were and Complainant Henriquez advised them that there were no such things in the residence. The suspects then took some jewelry along with the complainant's cell phone before they fled the scene in the black Ford Explorer,whose license plate was written down by a neighbor who witnessed the suspects exiting the vehicle and entering the complainants' residence."

The same affidavit later states:

"Affiant conducted follow-up investigation in this case and, after being unable to make contact with the registered owner of the suspects' vehicle, Affiant flagged this vehicle as wanted for this incident. On 11-15-07,officers with the Houston Police Department Narcotics Division came across this vehicle during one of their respective investigations and identified the following subjects as occupants of this vehicle at the time of their investigation: George Floyd, (Driver), Kornelious Barlow, (FrontPassenger). 

Upon learning of this development, Affiant obtained booking photos of both subjects and had these photos placed in two separate arrays. Affiant presented these arrays to Complainants Henriquez and Negrete and Complainant Henriquez tentatively identified Defendant George Floyd as being the largest of the suspects who initially forced his way into her home, pulled the Pistol into her abdominal area, and forced her into the living room area.
Complainant Negrete positively identified Defendant Floyd as being one of the suspects whom remembered seeing going through the cabinets in the kitchen."

Some Internet reports and memes claimed Henriquez was pregnant, but there's no mention of this in the official court documents which are publicly available.  It's unknown whether the initial police report of the robbery said she was pregnant at the time as that report hasn't been released. It's possible she was pregnant at the time of the robbery, but not necessarily showing a big belly.  So far there's no conclusive evidence she was pregnant.

Evil

Edited April 6, 2021 by Evil Penevil

[jcolorado]

52 minutes ago, lazarus said:

 Dumped him faster than you can say,

"no money, no honey..."

Read that the court denied her petition for divorce because she was getting virtually everything. They felt it was a matter of preventing losses from civil suites rather than simply ending a marriage. 

[nampla69]

I thought the last witness today Officer Nicole McKenzie Medical Trainer was also quite cute ..... she's been called back by the defence next week so ...

[Mr. Smooth]

5 hours ago, lazarus said:

Minneapolis is a progressive city. Lawmakers represented their contingency fairly.

The officer murdered Floyd. Maybe other officers will use more thoughtful restraint in the future for minor offenses.

The Floyd issue aside, when an officer approaches a member of the public to investigate a minor or major, offense, they use the utmost of caution and are always leery of the fluidity of the situation. How things transpire is totally and completely up to the individual and not the cop.

Over 99% of the officers on duty want to do whatever they can to de-escalate any situation with a citizen that they encounter, as emotions can run high at the prospect of someone possibly being placed under arrest. The 1%, or less, who are your typical "hot head" and looking for trouble, are that rare exception, and their actions when caught, reflect badly on the rest.

Cops have a big enough target on their back when they put on the uniform as it is in America. They don't need a guy like Chauvin to make it even worse.

Cops have a great deal of stress placed on them during their career and it often is the cause for their early deaths, as they generally have a life span that is a good decade less than the average lifespan in America. All that stress in trying to utilize "thoughtful restraint" over a 30 year career, leads to a post-cop retired life on meds to treat hypertension and other ailments, both physical and mental, due to the job.

My father is exhibit A for that after 30 years in the Highway Patrol. And he absolutely detested cops using their badge as permission to abuse the public. You should have seen his reaction to the video of those cops beating Rodney King all those years ago. He was royally pissed as he knew what that could mean to him when he went out on patrol. There was no need for that to go on once King was handcuffed and posed no threat to those cops at the scene. Ironically, he was part of a detachment of Northern Calif law enforcement assigned to South Central LA to provide traffic control and protection for the LA County Fire to put out the fires started by the rioters there.

No doubt, had he been in Chauvin's position that fateful day, once Floyd was under control and didn't pose a threat to the cops or the public in the vicinity, he would have gotten him up and took him to the patrol car.

End of story.

[Mrmango]

6 hours ago, Mr. Smooth said:

But with the makeup of the city, there were probably no reservations at the amount. Besides, the city was going to save a whole bunch of money from defunding the law enforcement budget

And of course, the City must have had insurance, so most of it was not their money.

[lazarus]

From the above post...

"Over 99% of the officers on duty want to do whatever they can to de-escalate any situation with a citizen that they encounter, as emotions can run high at the prospect of someone possibly being placed under arrest. The 1%, or less, who are your typical "hot head" and looking for trouble, are that rare exception, and their actions when caught, reflect badly on the rest."

From: Law enforcement in the United States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_enforcement_in_the_United_States

"There are 17,985 U.S. police agencies in the United States.."

"In 2008, state and local law enforcement agencies employed more than 1.1 million people on a full-time basis, including about 765,000 sworn personnel (defined as those with general arrest powers). Agencies also employed approximately 100,000 part-time employees, including 44,000 sworn officers."

. . .

7,500 "bad" cops is too many.

Edited April 7, 2021 by lazarus

[Glasseye]

Any police officer worth a pinch of salt hangs his head when they see the unlawful, inhuman act Chauvin committed. The guy had no business from the very beginning to be wearing a badge.

[biggles]

'and a general "us v. them" attitude in many departments' 

While I dont disagree with your comment, sadly their attitude may be a reflection of that shown to them by the people they have to interact with! 

There seems to be a lack of respect shown to LE, and not just in America

Edited April 7, 2021 by biggles
Typo

[Glasseye]

6 hours ago, Mr. Smooth said:

The Floyd issue aside, when an officer approaches a member of the public to investigate a minor or major, offense, they use the utmost of caution and are always leery of the fluidity of the situation. How things transpire is totally and completely up to the individual and not the cop.

Over 99% of the officers on duty want to do whatever they can to de-escalate any situation with a citizen that they encounter, as emotions can run high at the prospect of someone possibly being placed under arrest. The 1%, or less, who are your typical "hot head" and looking for trouble, are that rare exception, and their actions when caught, reflect badly on the rest.

Cops have a big enough target on their back when they put on the uniform as it is in America. They don't need a guy like Chauvin to make it even worse.

Cops have a great deal of stress placed on them during their career and it often is the cause for their early deaths, as they generally have a life span that is a good decade less than the average lifespan in America. All that stress in trying to utilize "thoughtful restraint" over a 30 year career, leads to a post-cop retired life on meds to treat hypertension and other ailments, both physical and mental, due to the job.

My father is exhibit A for that after 30 years in the Highway Patrol. And he absolutely detested cops using their badge as permission to abuse the public. You should have seen his reaction to the video of those cops beating Rodney King all those years ago. He was royally pissed as he knew what that could mean to him when he went out on patrol. There was no need for that to go on once King was handcuffed and posed no threat to those cops at the scene. Ironically, he was part of a detachment of Northern Calif law enforcement assigned to South Central LA to provide traffic control and protection for the LA County Fire to put out the fires started by the rioters there.

No doubt, had he been in Chauvin's position that fateful day, once Floyd was under control and didn't pose a threat to the cops or the public in the vicinity, he would have gotten him up and took him to the patrol car.

End of story.

 

 

^^^^^^   Perfect

[Lantern]

23 hours ago, Glasseye said:

 

 

^^^^^^   Perfect

Are you sure?

https://medium.com/@OfcrACab/confessions-of-a-former-bastard-cop-bb14d17bc759

 

I was a police officer for nearly ten years and I was a bastard. We all were.

This essay has been kicking around in my head for years now and I’ve never felt confident enough to write it. It’s a time in my life I’m ashamed of. It’s a time that I hurt people and, through inaction, allowed others to be hurt. It’s a time that I acted as a violent agent of capitalism and white supremacy. Under the guise of public safety, I personally ruined people’s lives but in so doing, made the public no safer… so did the family members and close friends of mine who also bore the badge alongside me.

But enough is enough.

The reforms aren’t working. Incrementalism isn’t happening. Unarmed Black, indigenous, and people of color are being killed by cops in the streets and the police are savagely attacking the people protesting these murders.

[biggles]

I read this and when I got towards the end my thought was that it was written by a supporter of the 'Defund the Police' group. More Social Workers, less cops sounds so much like the Liberals I hear on the US MSM. 

It doesnt make it a fake story, but it does make me suspicious of its motives

[Evil Penevil]

17 hours ago, biggles said:

I read this and when I got towards the end my thought was that it was written by a supporter of the 'Defund the Police' group. More Social Workers, less cops sounds so much like the Liberals I hear on the US MSM. 

It doesnt make it a fake story, but it does make me suspicious of its motives

You're correct.  In the full-length article, the author goes on to write:

"Defund, demilitarize, and disarm cops," and "One final idea: consider abolishing the police."

But even that is not enough for him.  He wants to abolish the entire capitalist system, although he doesn't have many concrete suggestions about what would be a better system.  He doesn't use the words "revolution," "socialism" or "communism,"  but that is what he means. More excerpts:

"What I’m telling you is that the system we have right now is broken beyond repair and that it’s time to consider new ways of doing community together."

"This is where we have to have the courage to ask: why do people rob? Why do they join gangs? Why do they get addicted to drugs or sell them? It’s not because they are inherently evil. I submit to you that these are the results of living in a capitalist system that grinds people down and denies them housing, medical care, human dignity, and a say in their government. These are the results of white supremacy pushing people to the margins, excluding them, disrespecting them, and treating their bodies as disposable."

Edited April 8, 2021 by Evil Penevil

[Kathmandu]

Tough day for the defense today, but they haven't presented a formal case yet. Hold on to your carton of popcorn mi amigos. The best may very well be yet to come.

[lazarus]

 

[john luke]

A couple of points and a question by me.

1. Expert witnesses are paid by the party deposing.  The average medically qualified expert witnesses are paid around $500 - $600 dollars per hour, according to internet sources.  There are plenty of experts to go round, however I think impartiality could well be an issue.
2. The defence I understand starts its case next week;  I very much question impartiality of the media in some of their reports.  I would expect a swing in the views, once the defence start to put forward evidence.

 

Question

Is a majority verdict allowed in USA; if so what happens if the jury can not agree?  

[Starshine]

8 minutes ago, john luke said:

 

 

Question

Is a majority verdict allowed in USA; if so what happens if the jury can not agree?  

"On April 20, 2020, in a fractured opinion in Ramos v. Louisiana, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Constitution requires unanimous jury verdicts in state criminal trials."24 Jul 2020

[Evil Penevil]

3 hours ago, john luke said:

Is a majority verdict allowed in USA; if so what happens if the jury can not agree?  

As Starshine indicated in his post above, a majority verdict is not allowed in state criminal trials.  If the jury cannot reach a unanimous decision, a mistrial is declared. The prosecution then has a certain amount of time in which to file for a second trial on the same charges. It can also choose not to pursue a second prosecution, in which case all charges are dismissed.

Evil

[lazarus]

3 hours ago, john luke said:

A couple of points and a question by me.

1. Expert witnesses are paid by the party deposing.  The average medically qualified expert witnesses are paid around $500 - $600 dollars per hour, according to internet sources.  There are plenty of experts to go round, however I think impartiality could well be an issue.
2. The defence I understand starts its case next week;  I very much question impartiality of the media in some of their reports.  I would expect a swing in the views, once the defence start to put forward evidence.

 

Question

Is a majority verdict allowed in USA; if so what happens if the jury can not agree?  

"if it doesn't fit, you must acquit."

... 'nuff said.

[Gary]

When I was a young boy, I don't know if I had any respect for the law, but I did have a fear of it. No way would I do anything to insult or talk back to a police officer. Everything worked fine that way. A good friend of mine later in life was a deputy sheriff and he was all business. Anyone who spit on him got a free trip to the hospital with a broken nose.

No respect, or at least fear, for police officers have gotten to the place we are today. We have gone totally in the wrong direction, that's my opinion.

[Stillearly]

Meanwhile 

https://www.vice.com/amp/en/article/y3dm3m/cops-caught-on-video-holding-a-black-army-lieutenant-at-gunpoint-then-pepper-spraying-him?__twitter_impression=true

 

[Gary]

Police officers are certainly not prefect, BUT, being polite and cooperating with them gives them no reason to be heavy handed. Why is that so difficult for some to understand? Those police officers are in constant danger of being murdered.

[fygjam]

26 minutes ago, Gary said:

Police officers are certainly not prefect, BUT, being polite and cooperating with them gives them no reason to be heavy handed. Why is that so difficult for some to understand? Those police officers are in constant danger of being murdered.

The last Western Australian police officer murdered while on duty was in 1979 yet we still have our share of heavy handed arrogant officers.

Your theory lacks substance.