Which jury member is back

He faces up to 40 years in prison. There [were] a few hiccups with terminology He said one juror wanted further clarifications to understand the terminology in relation to the charges.

We were going over the terminology so we understood exactly what was being asked. Mr Mitchell said every member of the jury agreed when they decided on the verdict. The jury was made up of six white individuals, four black persons, and two multiracial people. It was a lot of pressure. It was after this ruling that Mr Mitchell decided to step forward. There will be a jury in some civil cases such as defamation and assault cases.

However, for the majority of civil cases such as personal injuries actions and family law cases, there is no jury - it is the judge who decides the outcome. The jury consists of 12 members of the public who sit in a box to one side of the judge. One of the jurors is selected as a foreman of the jury by the members of the jury before the case starts. He or she acts as an informal chairperson and spokesperson for the jury.

The 12 jurors in a case are selected from a number of people who have been called to do their jury service on that day. Section 23 of the Courts and Civil Law Miscellaneous Provisions Act amended the Juries Act so that the jury can consist of up to 15 members, if the case is expected to last more than 2 months. The jurors are charged with the responsibility of deciding whether, on the facts of the case, a person is guilty or not guilty of the offence for which he or she has been charged.

The jury must reach its verdict by considering only the evidence introduced in court and the directions of the judge. The jury does not interpret the law. It follows the directions of the judge as regards legal matters. During all stages of the trial, jurors may take notes of proceedings. Jurors may also pass notes to the foreman or forewoman of the jury to ask the judge to explain certain aspects of the case.

At the conclusion of the trial, the jurors are given an issue paper, which states the issues that the jury must consider in reaching its verdict. When a jury consists of more than 12 members, only 12 are selected to consider the verdict. A Court Garda or other official is required to keep the jury together until the verdict is reached. Each juror was only identified by a number. No names, addresses or other identifying details will be revealed at any time and they will not be shown on screen.

It forced Judge Cahill to dismiss two jurors who had been previously selected, as well as excuse at least three prospects, after they admitted the payout had influenced their opinions on the case. Members of the jury pool who were excused often expressed strongly negative views on Mr Floyd, Mr Chauvin or other related topics. One woman, a nursing assistant, told the court she joined a protest after Mr Floyd's death because she believed: "It was not his time to die, and the incident should not have gone as far as it did.

Another woman, a mother of five, denounced the violence in the wake of Mr Floyd's killing, saying: "There is more crime than there was before. The reputation of the city seems to have taken a hit. It is all a sign of just how high the stakes in this trial are. Ms Berry says "even under the best circumstances, police officers are not convicted of murder and can argue that what they did was reasonable". If Mr Chauvin is convicted, she says it will be "a departure" from past practice and will "send a signal to police that these kind of behaviours are not valid".

But if he is not, "it signals that, no matter how bad the behaviour and no matter what you see with your own eyes, police are so supported and they can get away with killing unarmed people under these circumstances", she said. Mr Nichols agrees, calling it "a pivotal moment in our culture". He says African Americans have seen several miscarriages of justice, especially in recent years, and does not view the justice system as valuing their lives.

A conviction for Mr Chauvin will bring only "a brief sigh of relief", he believes, "because we're only waiting unfortunately - until we have real systemic change - for the next George Floyd situation". And, thus far, we have not seen that," he said. Why was trial over George Floyd killing so important?

The last 30 minutes of George Floyd's life. The man accused of killing George Floyd. Four facts that help explain anger at US policing. The questions used to screen Chauvin trial jurors. Chauvin trial jury selection finalised. Image source, Getty Images. A protest in Minneapolis ahead of the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin.