It probably isn’t, but it feels like the first time that police behaviour like this has been taken seriously, in that a police officer has actually been told “No, this was wrong of you, you must have known it was wrong, and so you are guilty of a crime.”
Previously it seemed that there has been a culture of “Everything other people do is wrong, but nothing a police officer does is wrong.”
After I’d informed my 86 year old mother about the verdict as she’s been following the trial herself, her one question she’d have asked Chauvin was “Why did you do it?” (Kneel on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes). Of course Chauvin never took the stand so that question couldn’t be asked. It’s still one that needs answering though.
Regarding Tigger’s that ‘Previously it seemed that there has been a culture of “Everything other people do is wrong, but nothing a police officer does is wrong.”‘
That culture is, alas, still alive & well, or rather ‘ill’. Over the last few days, I have been involved in a dispute in comments with several people over the testimony of the young woman from the Fire Department – her questioning by the defence was put on Youtube with the title ‘Scolded By The Judge: George Floyd witness talks back one too many times to Chauvin Defense team’, and a pile-on ensued, in which she was called a ‘karen’, a ‘know-it-all’, ‘overweight’, a ‘liar’, ’emotional’ (just like a woman), etc. It was remarkable to observe the creatures that crawled out of the woodwork and to read their beliefs and what passed as their arguments: expert witnesses could never be trusted because there was irrefutable evidence, none of which was named, that expert witnesses are untrustworthy, that the police superiors had had political pressure brought on them to disavow Chauvin’s actions, that the ‘mainstream media’ was clouding the truth, that the coroner was a woman, that someone like myself who disagreed with the commenters wanted a race war, that if a guilty verdict was made it would only be because the jurors would be too scared to do otherwise, etc, etc. It was not an entirely eye-opening experience, far from it, but it made it very clear that there are a large number of people who think the police can do nothing wrog, particularly when it comes to killing black people.
That rather unpleasant person ‘Judge’ Jeanine Pirro said on Fox News that the verdict was absolutely correct, and that any appeal would almost certainly fail.
I’m probably not the only one who thinks this is another Al Franken style sacrifice… “See, we got rid of the bad police officer, the institution is saved!”
Tucker Carlson is, of course, bravely hewing to the line that the jury was intimidated by the thought of what might happen if they did not find Chauvin guilty, and blames Maxine Waters (whose comments, I must say, were very ill-advised in the circumstances, though I understand her fury).
Former police officer Derek Chauvin has been placed in solitary confinement at a maximum-security prison in Minnesota after a jury convicted him of the murder of George Floyd.
Key points:
Chauvin will be allowed out of his cell for one hour per day
The three other former officers face charges of aiding and abetting
Congress has kicked off a review into policing laws
Chauvin will remain in solitary until his sentencing on June 16.
He is to be alone in his cell for all but one hour each day, during which he is allowed to exercise.
The cells are monitored by cameras, and guards are expected to look in on prisoners for a welfare check every 30 minutes.
Chauvin will be kept away from all other prisoners because of fears of his safety, according to a spokesperson for the Minnesota prison system.
Cops given jail terms tend to be given a somewhat less than polite time by their fellow inmates.
It probably isn’t, but it feels like the first time that police behaviour like this has been taken seriously, in that a police officer has actually been told “No, this was wrong of you, you must have known it was wrong, and so you are guilty of a crime.”
Previously it seemed that there has been a culture of “Everything other people do is wrong, but nothing a police officer does is wrong.”
I’m sure sentencing will be lenient as hell, but I’d be pleased to be incorrect.
After I’d informed my 86 year old mother about the verdict as she’s been following the trial herself, her one question she’d have asked Chauvin was “Why did you do it?” (Kneel on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes). Of course Chauvin never took the stand so that question couldn’t be asked. It’s still one that needs answering though.
I certainly would like to know. I can’t say I want to hear from him though.
Yes, it is a relief.
Regarding Tigger’s that ‘Previously it seemed that there has been a culture of “Everything other people do is wrong, but nothing a police officer does is wrong.”‘
That culture is, alas, still alive & well, or rather ‘ill’. Over the last few days, I have been involved in a dispute in comments with several people over the testimony of the young woman from the Fire Department – her questioning by the defence was put on Youtube with the title ‘Scolded By The Judge: George Floyd witness talks back one too many times to Chauvin Defense team’, and a pile-on ensued, in which she was called a ‘karen’, a ‘know-it-all’, ‘overweight’, a ‘liar’, ’emotional’ (just like a woman), etc. It was remarkable to observe the creatures that crawled out of the woodwork and to read their beliefs and what passed as their arguments: expert witnesses could never be trusted because there was irrefutable evidence, none of which was named, that expert witnesses are untrustworthy, that the police superiors had had political pressure brought on them to disavow Chauvin’s actions, that the ‘mainstream media’ was clouding the truth, that the coroner was a woman, that someone like myself who disagreed with the commenters wanted a race war, that if a guilty verdict was made it would only be because the jurors would be too scared to do otherwise, etc, etc. It was not an entirely eye-opening experience, far from it, but it made it very clear that there are a large number of people who think the police can do nothing wrog, particularly when it comes to killing black people.
Ugh god.
Half of them are probably Bari Weiss fans.
Can this be appealed? I hope not but I dunno.
That rather unpleasant person ‘Judge’ Jeanine Pirro said on Fox News that the verdict was absolutely correct, and that any appeal would almost certainly fail.
I’m probably not the only one who thinks this is another Al Franken style sacrifice… “See, we got rid of the bad police officer, the institution is saved!”
Tucker Carlson is, of course, bravely hewing to the line that the jury was intimidated by the thought of what might happen if they did not find Chauvin guilty, and blames Maxine Waters (whose comments, I must say, were very ill-advised in the circumstances, though I understand her fury).
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced this morning an investigation into the practice of the Minneapolis Police Department.
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2021/04/21/ap-source-doj-to-announce-minneapolis-police-probe
Sentencing of Chauvin will be tricky.
Cops given jail terms tend to be given a somewhat less than polite time by their fellow inmates.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-22/chauvin-in-solitary-colleagues-charged-over-george-floyd-murder/100087392