Analyzing jury selection and race in the trial of ex-cop Derek Chauvin

As jury selection wrapped up in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, what can the process tell us about how the trial will play out?

With cameras in the courtroom, we had a front-row seat to the questioning that took place of potential jurors — even though the jurors’ faces were never shown to protect their identities.

During jury selection on Monday, two potential jurors were struck — one by the prosecution and one by the defense — after talking about their views of the Black Lives Matter movement.

And earlier in the selection process, the prosecution questioned whether the defense’s rejection of one juror was on the basis of race.

Even while their names are protected, the race of the first 14 jurors seated has been widely reported: three Black men, including two who are immigrants; one Black woman; two women who identify as multiracial; two white men; and six white women.

MPR News host Angela Davis talked about jury selection in the Chauvin trial on Tuesday, as a 15th — and final — juror was selected. Davis also talked with two members of the In the Dark podcast team more broadly about their reporting on the role race plays in jury selection and what that can mean for a how a trial plays out.

Guests:

• Jon Collins, MPR News reporter on the team covering the Chauvin trial

• Parker Yesko, APM Reports reporter on the In the Dark podcast team

• Will Craft, APM Reports data reporter on the In the Dark podcast team

Use the audio player above to listen to the program.

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