Former Police Officer Derek Chauvin's Trial Delayed a Day as Prosecutors Mull Additional Murder Charge

Jury selection in the high-profile George Floyd murder trial was postponed for at least a day. It was to begin Monday morning, but legal wrangling over whether former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin should face an additional charge of third-degree murder delayed the process.

Chauvin has already been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of Floyd last May. Prosecutors hope by re-introducing a third-degree murder charge it will increase the chances of a conviction. The charge was once part of the case, but a judge dismissed it.  Now, prosecutors are appealing to a higher court to reinstate it.

It's a case that galvanized the world.  At the center of it, is the video showing Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck during an arrest last May.  An action that lasted for nearly 9 minutes while Floyd pleaded with the officers. 

"I can't breathe, please," he could be heard saying on the video. "They're gonna kill me right here."

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After Floyd's death, protests erupted not only across the country but around the world. Four officers were charged in his death, including Chauvin.  Fast forward 10 months and there are still demonstrations, but now they're outside the Hennepin County Courthouse where Chauvin will be tried. Fearful of unrest, city leaders put up fencing and barricades around the courthouse and closed some downtown streets and buildings. National Guard troops and extra police officers have been deployed in the city.

Once jury selection begins, seating an impartial jury in this high-profile case may be difficult.

"Both the prosecution and the defense, in this case, are going to be looking for jurors who, no matter what they've seen, read, or heard, can you still keep an open mind and listen solely to the evidence that's presented on trial," said Jo-Ellan Dimitrius, a jury consultant.

The trial will focus on two crucial questions: Did Chauvin carry out his duties in a reasonable manner, and did his actions cause Floyd's death.

"Prosecutors don't have to prove that they were the only thing that caused Floyd to die, but that having his knee on George Floyd's neck was a substantial causal factor," said Amy Forliti with the Associated Press.  "Defense attorneys are taking issue with this, and they've been pointing to an autopsy report that says Floyd had fentanyl in his system, as well as underlying medical conditions."

The process of selecting 12 jurors and 4 alternates is expected to begin Tuesday and will likely take three weeks.  That means opening statements will begin no earlier than March 29 with the trial is expected to go into at least mid-April.