Closing arguments in the Chauvin trial…
…have been happening today.
You can find commentary at Legal Insurrection. Andrew Branca’s first post about it is here, but he wrote that prior to the beginning of the closing arguments.
A live YouTube video of the proceedings can be found here. The comments to Branca’s post feature a lot of people who are watching the arguments, as well, and there’s also live blogging at his post.
There’s a lot to take in. I’m not optimistic about this verdict, but I’ve already expressed that in previous posts. Here I’ll just add that recently the previous home of the defense’s expert witness on use of force was vandalized by being smeared with blood and by the deposit of a severed pig’s head on the porch (it turned out someone else lives there now, but those who are trying to intimidate witnesses seem not to have been aware of this).
…[S]uch acts of judicial terrorism have ripple effects that reach to every other high-profile case that may occur anytime in the living memory of anyone aware of this case. Every prospective witness, juror, even defense counsel in the next high-profile case—perhaps the rapidly approaching Rittenhouse trial?—will be fully aware of what they can expect if they play any role in the defense whatever.
That sort of thing is common in countries in which – for example – drug cartels are intent on intimidating those participating in the justice system. It often succeeds, and I believe that the Chauvin trial reflects the fact that now these tactics have probably become standard in the US in high-profile politicized cases such as this. I am guessing that the Chauvin defense had tremendous trouble finding expert witnesses willing to testify, not because their case was weak but because of such fear of retaliation.
And of course, it’s not limited to anonymous judicial terrorists. Some are easy to identify. Maxine Waters, for example, had this to say when visiting the city near Minneapolis in which the Daunte Wright killing took place (and note that, for whatever reason, the Chauvin jury was not sequestered over the weekend when she said it):
…US Congresswoman Maxine Waters has crossed state lines to incite violence among protestors in Minneapolis, urging the mob to “get more confrontational.”
Those words said in the midst of a peaceful protest could be interpreted as merely urging further peaceful efforts—when said in the midst of a protest already violent, it can only be interpreted as a call for more violence.
And, sure enough, shortly after Waters’ comments, shots were fired at Minnesota National Guardsman present to secure public safety from the violent mob.
In that same video clip, Waters can be heard demanding that the chaos occurring in the streets of Minneapolis and all over the country around the trial of Derek Chauvin continue, and intensify, unless Chauvin is found guilty of first-degree (pre-meditated) murder—an intentional killing charge not even the state of Minnesota thought appropriate to bring against him, and obviously one not even on the table for the jury’s consideration.
Video can be found here.
Not only that, but as shipwreckedcrew at Red State writes:
…[D]uring the course of the comments Waters made it clear that a conviction only on the charge of manslaughter should get the same response as an acquittal. In fact, in an express and profound confession of her own ignorance, Waters said that in her view, Chauvin was guilty of First Degree Murder, even though he is charged with only Second Degree Murder…
The law is meaningless to Rep. Waters, and it always has been. Her seat in Congress has been little more than a grift for the entirety of her time there. She’s used her campaign and staff payroll to enrich her children and barely makes any effort at all to hide it. Her race-baiting for three decades has kept her safe in office so the grift can continue.
But, it should not be overlooked that Waters made it clear by her comments that anything other than a conviction of Chauvin for murder is not acceptable.
So far I’ve not seen any reports of a single Democrat in office condemning Waters’ remarks, although there were quite a few Republicans (“Republicans pounce”) doing so.
At Legal Insurrection, there will be a post-Chauvin-verdict discussion featuring Andrew Branca and William Jacobson. The time will be announced, but the plan is that it will come not long after the verdict.
Minnesota does not have the death penalty, so the mob will never be satisfied.
It should be clear at this point—it should have been clear long ago—that anyone voting for “Biden” (and other Democratic Party candidates) were voting to make the US a corrupt, thuggish third world kleptocracy.
Having said that, I must add that even if they had not voted for “Biden”, “he” would have “won” the election.
Hmm. Does this mean that those voters should be exonerated?
When Clubber Lang (Mr. T’s character in Rocky III) was asked if he had a prediction for his fight with Rocky, he simply growled “Prediction?…Pain!”. Similarly, that’s my prediction for Minneapolis no matter what the verdict.
Yesterday, the NYPost published an excellent and strongly-worded editorial condemning Mad Max entitled “Impeach and Remove Maxine Waters.” Not only is she one of the stupidest members of Congress (along with Hank Johnson), but she is, in all likelihood, the single most corrupt, her venal and thoroughly corrupt history having long been documented by the fearless Michelle Malkin. Brainless leftists are, unsurprisingly, rushing, via social media, to defend her incendiary and odious comments, but are they even aware that she inhabits a very costly mansion in a very affluent neighborhood of LA (Hancock Park) miles from the district which she supposedly represents?
Were I to hazard a guess or prediction, at which I am notoriously inaccurate, it would be that the intimidation will work.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) said she would be introducing a resolution to expel Waters from Congress.
https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2021/04/19/republicans-to-act-on-maxine-waters-inciting-comments-one-has-question-for-pelosi-n364106
So is Maxine Waters going to be deplatformed on social media for “inciting insurrection” the way Trump was?
Next to the OJ case, this is one of the sorriest criminal cases in American history.
One thing I’ve picked up from Barnes is that while the facts and law are on the defendant’s side, he thinks the emotional jury will ignore both things and convict based upon feelings and the media narrative: the video tape. They won it in the jury selection.
Sufficient reasonable doubt exists based upon Floyd’s terrible health and massive infusion of drugs right before he died. George the hoopster! He couldn’t breathe in the cop car because his lungs were filling up with fluid from the drugs.
I think the defendant should have a good case for reversal based upon the judge’s refusal to move the case. The jurors were all intimidated. But the MN S. Ct is probably intimidated. Harmless error. Or the record isn’t clear. Yada Yada.
This case is just another example of how identity politics and the Dem party is destroying America.
I wanted to puke when Wright’s mother demanded justice. She, hubby and the 2 year old will split $30m over the death of her son. Baby mama gets nothing. That’s plenty of justice. Yeah, liability is certain but no way that guy’s life – under conventional analysis – is worth even $1m.
The Black culture in America – for a large section of that community – is totally failed and no one will talk about it or fix it. To even talk about – as Mayor Peter told me – is racist.
Here in Omaha, the minority community is served by OPS. NONE of their high schools have more than 50% who can do math and read at grade level. This includes the once proud Central high school that is the alma mater of Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. A total disgrace.
On a tangential note.
Subsequent to the white woman officer grabbing her gun instead of her taser during the confrontation with the armed robbery suspect in Brooklyn Center, Mn., it was reported that both she and the Police Chief resigned. It is now reported that the Chief was summarily fired by the Mayor. It is implied that she was as well.
But, there is more. The Black City Manager expressed the opinion that they should have received “due process” before termination. The City Council voted to fire him. One Councilman said she regretfully voted to fire this wonderful man because of fear of retaliation from the BLM mobs that are terrorizing the town.
So, there we have it, mob rule. Just like any other Banana Republic.
It should be clear at this point—it should have been clear long ago—that anyone voting for “Biden” (and other Democratic Party candidates) were voting to make the US a corrupt, thuggish third world kleptocracy.
Pretty much. The partisan Democrats among our circle are remarkably feckless and obtuse.
“The Black culture in America – for a large section of that community – is totally failed and no one will talk about it or fix it. To even talk about – as Mayor Peter told me – is racist.
Here in Omaha, the minority community is served by OPS. NONE of their high schools have more than 50% who can do math and read at grade level.” Cornhead
At base, the problem is not a failure by the majority of the black community to achieve basic standards of citizenship.
The problem is that failure carries no consequence.
Consequence must be proportional to the importance of the accomplishment. Arguably, any citizen unable or unwilling to meet basic standards of citizenship is also incapable of acting as a productive and responsible citizen.
In such a case, a proportionate consequence is the loss of citizenship with a five year grace period in which to correct that deficiency. A subsequent failure to correct that deficiency must result in permanent deportation.
For good or ill, individual actions have societal consequences. If a society refuses to impose consequence for detrimental individual failures, it will decline and eventually cease to exist.
and note that, for whatever reason, the Chauvin jury was not sequestered over the weekend when she said it)
Waal, here’s the presiding judge.
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/parody/images/f/fd/Mr-magoo-cartoon-pictures-and.png/revision/latest?cb=20200216164228
You were expecting just what?
“So, there we have it, mob rule. Just like any other Banana Republic.”
Well, yes; but I think we have to make that a bit more accurate by specifying that the Party in power (AKA the Party that stole the last election) is expressly running the aforementioned mob; it is encouraging and inciting violent groups it fully supports to intimidate, burn, loot and destroy so as to achieve a judicial outcome that that Party WANTS.
Just part of that Party’s insidious plans to destroy the country it “leads” and “loves”.
(Or as the current US Representative to the UN solemnly intones, My country MUST admit its past failings in order to improve in the future….)
The Black culture in America – for a large section of that community – is totally failed and no one will talk about it or fix it.
The political culture of the black population in comparison with the Anglophone Caribbean or the Colombian Pacific coast or Brazil (or black America in 1955) is godawful. The intellectual / academic culture is largely fake – a simulacrum of an intellectual life, not the real thing. Ordinary rank-and-file blacks are addled by bad habits and misconceptions in a way they weren’t in 1955. You can say that of ordinary people in general as well, however.
Our problem, really, is that figures of authority are always lying – lying to blacks about their performance and lying to the rest of us about race matters and a half-dozen other things. The lying and the perverse incentives are making the effects of unfortunate vectors in the culture worse than they would otherwise be. We don’t have to be doing this. It’s a long series of own goals scored by people unfit for the positions they hold.
That was why they are keeping the riots going in Portland. It is their training ground for their new and revised KKK. There will be riots regardless. But the enemy is evolving. They are realizing that burning minority areas is becoming counter productive so now they are talking about rioting in wealthier areas. I was not sure that the suburbs Police Departments would be as accommodating but since the arrest of Potter they have realized that nobody has their back and it is better to just let it burn than get involved. This is what the citizens voted for.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2021/04/signs_that_2021_rioters_will_be_attacking_and_burning_wealthy_neighborhoods.html
The Democrats want a violent reaction so they can press for the confiscation of guns. The court intimidation process is underway with the packing threat so they have sent the signal to them. Let’s see if the courts got the memo.
As of now only Notorious MTG (Marjorie Taylor Greene) is acting instead of talking . We can’t spare her. She fights.
Here is Michigan we have channeled a lot of energy into Citizen Activist organizations like Rescue Michigan, Stand Up Michigan and Unlock Michigan because the Republicans haven’t got their crap together. We have learned from 2020 and groups are channeling and coordinating their efforts. Below is an example. Yesterday we had a two hour meeting to go over the proposal and next steps.
https://rescuemichigan.com/electionreformplan.php
There is a simmering cold anger that is not dissipating. Obama would be proud.
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2018/09/27/kavanaugh-cold-anger-and-the-reckoning/
Get involved, get working and get our country back.
This isn’t going to make the narrative peddlers happy. Stroke with no chemical irritants.
https://redstate.com/bonchie/2021/04/19/breaking-cause-of-death-for-officer-brian-sicknick-released-major-blow-to-media-and-democrat-narrative-n364492
Impeaching her and kicking her out of Congress isn’t enough. There also needs to be a campaign in her district to let the locals know how horrible she is. Ask them if they would want to live in Minneapolis with all the rioting. Ask them what she has done for them: How are their schools, housing, jobs. Ask them how many have been invited to her house to discuss their problems. Conservative blacks and Republicans have to learn how to take their message into black districts like Ben Carson has.
Sadly, it is not surprising at all that America can become a banana republic, human nature being what it is. Evil people will always attempt to gain ground and control. Our lazy, venal and/or corrupt media are the biggest catalysts here.
It was disgusting to see almost no one insist on due process when the riots erupted last year. Regardless of political slant real American politicians and journalists would be clear on the importance of innocence unless and until proven guilty and the right of all to a fair trial. Unfortunately such politicians are in a minority and the media does not report what they say. Nor do the vast majority of our journalists demand and defend our rights.
That pighead should be a huge media story. It won’t be. Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind.
Jonathan Turley’s Twitter feed has interesting commentary on the effect of Maxine Waters’ inflammatory comments in Minneapolis last night while the jury was not sequestered.
Chauvin’s attorney has just asked for a mistrial because of Water’s comments. The request was denied, but the judge slammed Waters and said that it could lead to “the whole trial being overturned on appeal.”
‘The request (for mistrial) was denied’. Tells the whole story of that farce and the “Charlatan in black robes” who is presiding.
Maybe he who poses as a Judge was otherwise engaged when they covered the concept of jury nullification in law school. Or does a call for a violent reaction publicly uttered by a senior member of the United States Congress not reach the threshold?
I jest. The odd point in my earlier post, was that the Council member in Brooklyn Center was unusually candid about her own actions.
Spartacus mentioned the release of the ME report on Officer Sicknick, so I will bump this Link that someone else posted somewhere in the threads today.
https://greenwald.substack.com/p/the-media-lied-repeatedly-about-officer
Spartacus mentioned the release of the ME report on Officer Sicknick,
Which the ME indubitably completed three months ago. They couldn’t get him to lie and a comprehensive trawl through the security camera footage couldn’t locate anything but an encounter with bear spray.