Judge Peter Cahill said that Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) could have given the defense grounds to overturn the Chauvin trial on appeal.
Defense attorney Eric Nelson, who is representing Derek Chauvin in the case involving the death of George Floyd, asked for a mistrial on Monday, due to Waters’ widely reported calls for violence.
“And it is so pervasive that it is I just don’t know how this jury it can really be said to be that they are free from the taint of this,” Nelson said. “And now that we have U.S. representatives, threatening acts of violence in relation to the specific case, it’s mind boggling to me, judge.”
BREAKING: Chauvin trial judge discloses to defense that the trial could be overturned.
— MRCTV (@mrctv) April 19, 2021
"I will give you that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something in appeals that could result in the whole trial being overturned." pic.twitter.com/p5HZkWzWtG
“I’ll give you that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trail being overturned,” Cahill said.
Cahill denied the mistrial request but slammed Waters for her comments.
Chauvin trial judge denies the defense's request for a mistrial, BUT he did SLAM Maxine Waters for her threatening comments in Minnesota this weekend to jurors, calling them "abhorrent" and "disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch and our function." pic.twitter.com/rAoa1QvcqZ
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) April 19, 2021
“I’m aware that Congressman Waters was talking specifically about this trial, and about the unacceptability of anything less than a murder conviction, and talk about being confrontational. But you can submit the press articles about that. This goes back to what I’ve been saying from the beginning. I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case, especially in a manner that is disrespectful to the rule of law, and to the judicial branch and our function,” Cahill said.
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) to BLM protesters in Brooklyn Center, MN:
— Bree A Dail (@breeadail) April 18, 2021
“[Protestors] got to stay on the street and get more active, more confrontational. They’ve got to know that we mean business.” pic.twitter.com/GLIPoLwZnd