And now 2nd degree murder

Yesterday, I was listening to an interview on npr with a couple of retired Minneapolis police officers. They described point-by-point what was horrendously wrong with what they saw. George Floyd was not an active threat, yet Derek Chauvin continued to kneel on his neck. They repeatedly said that it was very telling that he had his hands in his pockets, not something an officer who is actively restraining a threatening suspect would be doing.

I'll see if I can find a link to the interview.

Here it is. Audio and transcript.

https://www.npr.org/2020/06/02...eorge-floyds-killing

I was about to say: I think you mean the other three police officers and now they've been charged with 2nd degree murder (I don't watch much news but I saw this headline earlier).

On the other hand, although I'm no expert, it seems to me charges like these rarely lead to convictions.

quote:

Originally posted by Daniel:
I was about to say: I think you mean the other three police officers and now they've been charged with 2nd degree murder (I don't watch much news but I saw this headline earlier).

On the other hand, although I'm no expert, it seems to me charges like these rarely lead to convictions.

Time for you to read the news.

The other 3 are now charged with aiding and abetting.

The knee 'jerk' now has been charged in 2nd degree murder

And I cannot believe they will not be convicted.

quote:

Originally posted by LL:
And now 2nd degree murder

Doesn’t that raise the chances of acquittal substantially? Doesn’t that require intent?

quote:

Originally posted by jon-nyc:

quote:

Originally posted by LL:
And now 2nd degree murder

Doesn’t that raise the chances of acquittal substantially? Doesn’t that require intent?

for sure and without a doubt he had intent...

From Keith Ellison yesterday:

quote:

“The investigation is ongoing. We are following the path of all the evidence, wherever it leads,” Ellison told reporters as he announced the charges and pleaded with the public for patience in the probe.

“Winning a conviction will be hard,” he cautioned.

“We’re confident in what we’re doing, but history does show there are clear challenges” in convicting police officers for murder.

quote:

Ellison on Wednesday said that first-degree murder in Minnesota requires premeditation. Chauvin’s second-degree murder charge involves unintentional killing while committing a felony. Ellison said in this case the felony was an assault on Floyd.

“We believe these are the right charges,” he said.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/...ke-of-floyds-killing

So, reading WTG's link, 2nd degree murder (in Minnesota, anyway) does not require intent.

I wish an expert would explain 2nd degree murder to us.

To me, it doesn't sound much different than manslaughter.

I remember the George Zimmerman trial. It was a 2nd degree murder trial. It was a fiasco.

Andrew McCarthy on the prospect that Ellison overcharged.

Warning, he’s pretty ideological, in some senses my least favorite writer at NR, but he is a former federal prosecutor and is certainly qualified to identify the risks of overcharging.

https://www.nationalreview.com...ories&utm_term=fifth

I heard that Bundy and friends who occupied the national forest facilities in Oregon were acquitted because they were overcharged.