Historic wrongful death settlement may complicate prosecution of Chauvin

FARGO ATTORNEY SAYS $27 MILLION SETTLEMENT POSES DANGER FOR PROSECUTION AND DEFENSE

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – A Fargo attorney says a settlement reached in a wrongful death lawsuit involving the city of Minneapolis and the family of George Floyd could backfire on the prosecution.

The announcement of the $27 million settlement was made as jury selection continued in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who’s accused of killing Floyd.

Vogel Law Firm defense attorney Mark Friese says the issue with the settlement may arise during jury deliberations.

“There may be some discussion here by the jurors that says the Floyd family here has been compensated to the tune of $27 million, which is an unprecedented civil settlement in the state of Minnesota” Friese said.

“They may say ‘the Floyd family has received enough justice, we don’t need to further punish the people that were involved.’  So, there is some danger here for the state, as well as the defense.”

Friese says word of the settlement may have also tainted other potential jurors who have not been questioned, which may create an issue for appeal if Chauvin is convicted.