The former Minneapolis cop murdered George Floyd on the world stage last summer, kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes and twenty seconds with the most astoundingly depraved indifference to the man’s pleas for air.

The trial jury is unusually diverse in this case. One can almost imagine that Chauvin might — just might — even be convicted. The best we can hope for is second-degree murder, but that’ll do.

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Here is a quick overview of the case, courtesy of The Washington Post, March 28, 2021:

Here’s what to know:

• Floyd’s family members gathered outside the courthouse shortly before opening arguments to demand accountability. Floyd’s nephew, Brandon Williams, told the crowd that either Chauvin and the other officers weren’t “trained and qualified to do their job, or they intended to take his life.”
• A judge allowed details of a 2019 traffic stop of Floyd to be brought up during trial, a victory for the defense.
• The 12 jurors and two alternates are a mix of men and women, and black, multiracial and white people. Seven are under 40 years old. A third alternate was sent home Monday morning.
• Chauvin is charged with second- and third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death. If convicted, he faces as many as 40 years in prison but could serve as few as 10 under state guidelines and the judge’s discretion.
• The outcome of Chauvin’s trial is expected to influence those of the ex-MPD officers who also arrested Floyd. J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao are charged with aiding and abetting and will stand trial in August.
• Here are answers to frequently asked questions about the incident and the trial.

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