DEREK CHAUVIN GEORGE FLOYD KAEPERNICK SHIRT

 DEREK CHAUVIN GEORGE FLOYD KAEPERNICK SHIRT

The trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death is forging ahead with jury selection, even though a looming appellate ruling could halt the case and delay it for weeks or even months as the state tries to add a third-degree murder count.

Prosecutors are asking the Court of Appeals to put Derek Chauvin’s trial on hold until the issue of adding the third-degree murder count is resolved. The appeals court did not immediately rule on that request, and Judge Peter Cahill said Monday that he intends to keep the trial on track until he’s told to stop.

“Unless the Court of Appeals tells me otherwise, we’re going to keep moving,” he said. Jury selection is expected to begin Tuesday, a day later than scheduled.

After months of anticipation, trial proceedings officially began Monday morning for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, accused of the murder of George Floyd. But a judge quickly ordered a pause in jury selection at least for the rest of the day, while waiting for an appeals court ruling on the potential repercussions of reinstating a third-degree murder charge.

For Minneapolis residents, a delay in the justice process was nothing new. Nine months have passed since Floyd’s death under Chauvin’s knee reawakened a national protest movement and sparked civil unrest that set blocks of the city aflame. For the city’s Black, brown, and Indigenous residents, “justice delayed” has been all too common, especially in police brutality cases. In modern memory, no police officer in Minnesota has ever been convicted for killing a person of color.

“Justice for George Floyd” signs still line front yards, windows, and murals on the sides of buildings. In preparation for the trial, public officials have blockaded City Hall and police precincts with barbed wire and barricades.