March 16, 2021
Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow south and lows in the upper 20s across most of the state. Wednesday will be partly sunny with highs in the upper 20s to mid 40s. Find more from Updraft. The judge in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin today left open the possibility he may still move or reschedule the high-profile criminal proceedings, in the wake of the city’s legal settlement with the family of George Floyd. Judge Peter Cahill says he'll re-interview the first seven jurors selected in the trial of Derek Chauvin following a major civil settlement between the city of Minneapolis. George Floyd's family, city leaders and Floyd family attorneys announced the record breaking $27 million agreement last Friday. Cahill says he'll ask the jurors what they know about the deal, which is separate from the criminal case. He plans to conduct the additional interviews by zoom tomorrow morning.
Cahill also denied a defense request to sequester the jury for the entirety of the trial, though jurors will be sequestered during deliberations. So far nine jurors have been picked the judge has set aside three weeks to choose 12 jurors and two alternates.
Judge Cahill is also considering if the defense may present evidence concerning a 2019 arrest of George Floyd.
In COVID-19 news, Minnesota's daily vaccinations fell below 10,000 for the first time in nearly a month in the latest data from the Minnesota Department of Health. At 7,400 doses it's the lowest daily point for shots since mid-February.
Deaths remain notably low. With two more additional deaths in the latest data, the state has reported its lowest 4-day toll since before Labor Day.
You can get more of the latest news, in just a few minutes, via the Minnesota Today podcast. — Tim Nelson | MPR News | 