Minneapolis – As the jury in the Derek Chauvin trial is in deliberation, the attorney for Derek Chauvin, Eric Nelson, asked for a mistrial based on the comments by Congresswoman Maxine Waters over the weekend.“
“And it is so pervasive that it is I just don’t know how this jury it can really be said to be that they are free from the taint of this,” the lawyer representing Derek Chauvin said. “And now that we have U.S. representatives, threatening acts of violence in relation to the specific case, it’s mind boggling to me, judge.”
Waters, a democrat member in Congress from California, was on the ground in Minneapolis on Sunday and told a group of protesters that if Derek Chauvin was acquitted “We’ve got to stay on the street and we’ve got to get more active, we’ve got to get more confrontational. We’ve got to make sure that they know that we mean business.”
Judge Cahill called her comments “abhorrent” and “disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch and our function.”
Chauvin trial judge denies the defense's request for a mistrial, BUT he did SLAM Maxine Waters for her threatening comments in Minnesota this weekend to jurors, calling them "abhorrent" and "disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch and our function." pic.twitter.com/rAoa1QvcqZ
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) April 19, 2021
After her statement, members of the National Guard were attacked with gunfire by rioters in Minneapolis. Her statements along with the ensuing violence drew sharp criticism from many.
Judge Peter Cahill denied the motion but told the attorneys that her statement may have given them something on appeal
“Well, I’ll give you that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trail being overturned,” Cahill responded.
Nelson told the judge that her comments were a “threat” to the jury.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced on Monday that he will move to censor Waters for allegedly inciting violence with her remarks.
