Is it possible that the Minneapolis police officers accused of killing George Floyd will receive a fair trial? Very unlikely. Here’s why:
Unless you live in a cave and don’t have access to media, you’ve already seen the video of police officer Derek Chauvin holding his knee on the throat of Mr. Floyd until he was dead. This is pretty much prima facie evidence of homicide. You’ve also seen both liberal and conservative media condemn the police officers and demand that they are punished to the full extent of the law. But the question no one is asking is: Is it possible that Officer Chauvin and his fellow officers are innocent?
However, unlikely as it may seem, let’s pretend for a moment that you are on the jury and evidence is shown in court that casts great doubt on the guilt of Officer Chauvin. As a juror, it is your responsibility to vote guilty or not guilty. What do you do? If you find Officer Chauvin not guilty, you know what happens next: cities burn, innocent people are murdered in the streets, and police officers everywhere are attacked on a level never before seen. The mobs take over and the likelihood of societal collapse becomes very real. You and your family will have to go into hiding for the rest of your lives.
A a juror, you’ve been given a huge responsibility. If you and your fellow jurors vote guilty, a man who might well be innocent goes to prison for many, many years. But if you vote guilty, you save innumerable lives, stop cities from burning and probably save society itself. If you and your fellow jurors vote not guilty, it is the end of civilized society as you know it, and the lives of you and your family are in ruins.
Is this a fair amount of responsibility to be given to the twelve jurors who will hear the case against Derek Chauvin? I don’t think so.
Well, thank goodness that this is only an imaginary scenario, you say! We have all seen the video and know that Chauvin is guilty and will be found guilty in court! Everyone will settle down when justice is done.
Now, let’s step back to reality. What if Derek Chauvin is not guilty? But, I saw the video. You know that’s not true, you say.
I would have agreed with you a short time ago, but some things just didn’t seem right. Finally, I came across an article in Uzi Review by John-Paul Leonard: Or Did George Floyd Die of a Drug Overdose? Fatal Fentanyl: A Forensic Analysis.
In the article, Leonard argues that the facts of the case are being ignored. He has compiled extensive evidence. Among the most important are:
-
Floyd’s blood tests showed a concentration of Fentanyl of about three times the fatal dose.
-
Fentanyl is a dangerous opioid 50 times more potent than heroin. It has rapidly become the most common cause of death among drug addicts.
-
The knee hold used by the police is not a choke hold, it does not impede breathing. It is a body restraint and is not known to have ever caused fatal injury.
Leonard also goes to the official autopsy report with its finding that there were “no life-threatening injuries.”
If George Floyd received “no life-threatening injuries,” how is it possible then that he was murdered by Officer Chauvin?
When this goes to a jury, it will not be a straightforward case of murder. Fair and open-minded jurors may be be inclined to consider a verdict of “not guilty.”
If this happens, my fictional scenario of possible societal collapse becomes a reality. Does this change the real-life verdict, and put an innocent man in prison for the good of society?
That’s why a fair trial is impossible!
The article in Uzi Review by John-Paul Leonard can be found here: Or Did George Floyd Die of a Drug Overdose? Fatal Fentanyl: A Forensic Analysis.
The official autopsy report can be found here.
— Mr. Evil