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Doubt is at the heart of every criminal defense: Beyond a reasonable doubt, did Derek Chauvin cause the death of George Floyd, and if so, what was the degree of his intent? Eric Nelson, a defense attorney for the former Minneapolis police officer, hammered this question home to the jury in closing arguments Monday. While the jurors might have thought the prosecution’s evidence was convincing, that wasn’t enough. It had to be convincing beyond a reasonable doubt on every count Chauvin faced: unintentional murder in the second degree, third-degree murder showing a “depraved mind,” and “culpable negligence” manslaughter.
On Tuesday, Chauvin’s defense resoundingly failed in that effort. After a remarkably quick deliberation of the charges starting late Monday, jurors found him guilty on all three charges, indicating that the tactics, traditional and non-, that the defense employed failed to do the job.