Background - The George Floyd Protests – Related Trials and Commentary - LibGuides at American University Washington College of Law

Introduction

George Floyd, a Black man, died in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25, 2020. Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck for approximately nine minutes immediately prior to Floyd's death. Floyd's death sparked months of protests across the country against racism and police mistreatment of Black people. Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin's trial began on March 8, 2021.

News Coverage

MPR News Timeline: The Killing of George Floyd and Trial of Derek Chauvin

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder: Derek Chauvin Trial Coverage

StarTribune: Chauvin Trial Coverage

Washington Post: Race & Reckoning

New York Times: The Trial over George Floyd's Death

NPR News: Live Updates - Trial over George Floyd's Killing

AUWCL Professors' Commentary

Commentary by WCL Professor Jenny Roberts

NBC News - March 9, 2021

March 9, 2021 - George Floyd's death started with an arrest for a misdemeanor. Petty crime needs a rethink.
Every police interaction can lead down a path to severe consequences. Justice isn't served by prioritizing prosecution of low-level offenses over someone's life.

By Michael N. Herring, former Commonwealth’s Attorney for Richmond, Virginia, and Jenny Roberts, professor of law and co-director of the Criminal Justice Clinic at the American University Washington College of Law

MSNBC News - March 28, 2021

MSNBC Ali Velshi: Rethinking how the U.S. prioritizes misdemeanors with Professor Jenny Roberts
George Floyd was arrested last year when a convenience store clerk claimed he used a counterfeit 20-dollar-bill to buy cigarettes. Passing off a counterfeit $20-dollar bill is the kind of misdemeanor that usually results in little-to-no jail time yet Floyd was issued a death sentence with no right to a judge or jury. Jenny Roberts is a Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Criminal Justice Clinic at American University Washington College of Law and she joins Ali Velshi to discuss the trial of Derek Chauvin, policing, and why the United States legal system must reconsider how it deals with low-level crimes.

CBS News - March 30, 2021

CBS News - March 30, 2021 - Key takeaways of the Derek Chauvin trial - On CBSN, Nikki Battiste spoke with Jenny Roberts, a professor of law at American University and co-director of the Criminal Justice Clinic, about some key takeaways from the trial so f

CBS News - April 12, 2021

CBS News - April 12, 2021 - Day 11 of the Chauvin Trial: Jenny Roberts, the co-director of the Criminal Justice Clinic and professor of law at American University, joins CBSN for a closer look at the trial.

Pence Law Library Guides

The George Floyd Protests – Related Trials and Commentary: Background