LAL #013 — A Shocking Outcome in Chauvin Trial; The Appellate Fight Begins

Law and Legitimacy

The verdict in the Derek Chauvin case was swift and unanimous: guilty on all counts.

I would have acquitted, and, candidly, I think I would have won the case if I tried it, but … Attention now focuses on Mr. Chauvin’s appeal and post-conviction remedies.

He stands an excellent chance of winning a new trial on the basis of the trial courts refusal to grant his request for a change of view.

He tried his case in a fortress before jurors who had every reason to believe that if they did not convict, the luck they enjoyed escaping last summer’s violence at the hand of protestors might run out as to the fire next time. His trial counsel also made a series of decisions that are difficult to understand. Whether they are sound tactical decisions will be determined at a later proceeding challenging his effectiveness as a trial lawyer.

Bottom line: Derek Chauvin faces a lengthy prison sentence.

And his appellate and post-conviction remembers will take years to run their course. In the meantime, what police officer would choose to work in Minneapolis? And, what’s more, who in their right mind would want to live there?

The police department has adopted a “catch and release” policy as to suspects believed to be involved in criminal activity. The homicide rate in the city has alert tripled since last summer’s call to defund the police. Let’s see what the next few years boring.

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