Here’s what we know about the jury in Derek Chauvin’s trial

Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter on Tuesday after jury of 12 people, unnamed and unseen during the trial in Minneapolis, deliberated more than 10 hours.

The jury of five men and seven women began deliberations Monday to decide the extent of Chauvin’s role in the death of George Floyd. Of the 12 jurors, six were White, four were Black and two were multiracial, according to information released by the court.

Two other White women selected as alternates in the case were dismissed by the judge prior to deliberations.

The jury selection process began March 9 at the Hennepin County Government Center and wrapped up March 23, exactly two weeks later.

Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin, a White former Minneapolis Police officer, kept his knee on Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds while Floyd pleaded, “I can’t breathe.” His final moments were captured on video, and his death led to widespread protests against police brutality and racism under the banner Black Lives Matter as well as incidents of unrest and looting.

Chauvin had pleaded not guilty to second-degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter charges. He had also pleaded not guilty to third-degree murder, which was reinstated in the case on March 11.

Chauvin could face up to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder, up to 25 years for third-degree murder, and up to 10 years for second-degree manslaughter.

Sentencing is set for eight weeks from now, Judge Peter Cahill said. The judge will decide the sentence.

Opening statements began March 29 and were followed by testimony from 45 witnesses that took about three weeks.

Three other former officers — Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao — are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. They are expected to stand trial this summer. All four ex-officers are out on bail.

Who was selected

The jurors in Chauvin’s case all came from Hennepin County, which is demographically about 74% White and 14% Black, according to census data.

The prospective jurors had completed a 16-page questionnaire that asked for their personal thoughts on Black Lives Matter, policing and other topics. In court, each person was sworn in and then questioned one by one in a process known as voir dire. The juror’s name, address and other information are kept anonymous.

Eric Nelson questioned the prospective jurors for the defense, while Steve Schleicher questioned them for the prosecution.

The first juror selected was a White man in his 20s or 30s who works as a chemist and said he has an analytical mind.

The second juror was a woman of mixed race who appeared to be in her 20s or 30s, according to a pool reporter’s observations in court. She said she was “super excited” about getting the jury questionnaire form.

The third juror selected was a White man in his 30s who works as an auditor. He said he supports Black Lives Matter in the general context but doesn’t like everything they have done.

The fourth juror selected was a Black man in his 30s or 40s who moved to the United States 14 years ago and works in information technology. He said he had a “somewhat negative” opinion of Chauvin, that he strongly disagreed with defunding the police and that police make him feel safe.

The fifth juror was a White woman in her 50s, according to the court. She said she had a “somewhat negative” impression of Chauvin, and believes there are biases against African Americans but not everyone in the system is bad. She said she felt empathy for Floyd as well as the officers because “at the end of the day I’m sure that the intention was not there for this to happen.”

The sixth juror chosen was a Black man in his 30s, according to the court, who said he had very favorable views of Black Lives Matter. He also said he thought Chauvin had “no intention” of harming anyone, but he said he could put that opinion aside in this case.

The seventh juror selected was a White woman in her 50s, according to the court. She had a “somewhat negative” impression of Chauvin and wrote she “got the impression he didn’t care about” Floyd.

The eighth juror selected was a Black man in his 40s who works in management. He said he had a neutral opinion of Chauvin and a “somewhat favorable” view of both Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter.

The ninth juror was a woman of multiple/mixed race in her 40s who said she had a “somewhat negative” opinion of Chauvin, but feels safe because of police in her neighborhood, the court said. The court initially incorrectly stated her race as White, but she identifies as multiple/mixed race.

The 10th juror was a White woman in her 50s who works as a nurse. She said police in her community make her feel safe, but she noted Black and minority people are not always treated fairly in the criminal justice system.

The 11th juror was a Black woman and grandmother in her 50s or 60s who once lived about 10 blocks from where Floyd died. She has a relative who is a Minneapolis Police officer and said she somewhat agrees that Black people are not always treated fairly in the criminal justice system.

The 12th juror was a White woman in her 40s who works in commercial insurance. She said she has a healthy respect for police officers and a somewhat favorable opinion of Black Lives Matter.

The 13th juror was a White woman in her 50s. Until recently, she worked in customer service in a suburban business that was damaged in the unrest after Floyd’s death. She said she had a “somewhat negative” view of Chauvin, but generally trusts police and believes people who follow their instructions have nothing to fear. This juror was an alternate and was dismissed prior to deliberations.

The 14th juror was a White woman in her 20s who works as a social worker. She said she had neutral views of Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter and strongly disagrees with defunding the police. This juror was also an alternate and was dismissed prior to deliberations.

A 15th juror — a White man in his 20s who works as an accountant — was chosen in case of an absence but was excused prior to the start of opening statements.

Who was excused

During the questioning, the defense and prosecution were able to ask the court to dismiss prospective jurors for cause if they believed the person could not be fair and impartial.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys were also able to dismiss prospective jurors without cause, using what’s called a peremptory challenge. Chauvin’s team was allowed 18 of these challenges and used 14. The prosecution was allowed 10 and used eight.

The defense generally used its strikes on people who expressed negative views of Chauvin and positive views of Black Lives Matter, while the prosecution has generally used its strikes on White people who expressed support for police.

Two men initially selected to be on the jury were later excused after they told the court that mid-trial news of Minneapolis’s $27 million settlement with Floyd’s estate affected their ability to be impartial.