Free Republic

The jury’s guilty verdict of former police officer Derek Chauvin at the trial over George Floyd’s death was “a step towards dealing with institutional racism in America,” Ned Price, a spokesperson for the State Department, declared Wednesday. Price applauded the former Minneapolis police officer Chauvin’s guilty verdict, handed down Tuesday, at the top of the press briefing. Nevertheless, Price declared of Chauvin’s verdict: "The outcome does not represent full justice, but it does represent accountability, which is a step towards dealing with institutional racism in America. The verdict also does not diminish the pain felt by black and brown communities,...

A fair trial might have come to the same conclusion. But we'll never know, and never be able to trust this outcome, because America's left purposefully made a fair trial impossible.A Minnesota jury has found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. This means they claim to have concluded that they unanimously believe beyond a reasonable doubt that Chauvin caused Floyd’s death.Given the circumstances of the trial, however, it’s extremely hard to believe the jury was solely concerned with either truth or justice. It’s extremely hard, if not impossible, for any thinking person...

Garland said the probe will be a "fully comprehensive review" that will look into whether the Minneapolis Police Department has a "pattern or practice of unconstitutional or unlawful policing." He specificed that this includes "using excessive force, including during protests," as well as "discriminatory conduct and whether its treatment of those with behavioral health disabilities is unlawful." The investigation will be conducted by the DOJ's Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Minnesota, and will examine the MPD's policies, training, supervision, use of force provisions, systems of accountability, and more in determining whether or not...

Washington — Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Wednesday the Justice Department has opened a civil investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department's policing practices following the conviction of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd.In brief remarks from the Justice Department, Garland said the sweeping probe will determine whether the Minneapolis Police Department engages in a "pattern or practice" of unconstitutional or unlawful policing.

@BobMurphyEcon EVERYBODY: Police chief admitted Chauvin wasn't kneeling on his neck. Start at 6:30 in this: VideoI saw that initial footage and thought Chauvin was a monster too. But the defense raised 3 good points, so that "reasonable doubt" doesn't mean you're a racist.

Fox News host Jeanine Pirro agreed with a Minnesota jury's guilty verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin and predicted the convictions would hold against an appeal. Pirro, a former district attorney and an ally of former President Donald Trump who often praises law enforcement, said the decision to convict Chauvin of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd was "supported by the facts." "I've tried many murder cases, and I've sat as a judge on murder cases. It is rare that you even get a picture of the victim...

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune is being blasted online for releasing biographical information of all twelve jurors plus two alternates in the Derek Chauvin trial in the killing of George Floyd. Without naming the jurors, reporters Paul Walsh and Hannah Sayle on Tuesday published enough details about their lives, internet sleuths and local snoops may be able to figure out who they are.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison told CBS's "60 Minutes" in an interview aired Sunday that there was no evidence that Derek Chauvin's murder of George Floyd last May was a hate crime. Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter charges on Tuesday for Floyd's death, during which the former police officer kneeled on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes. Chauvin faces up to 40 years in prison and is currently being held in solitary confinement. When interviewer Scott Pelley asked Ellison whether the murder was a hate crime, the prosecutor replied: "I wouldn't call it that because hate crimes...

The lead prosecutor in Derek Chauvin’s murder trial admitted in an interview aired on Sunday that he “felt a little bad” for the convicted former Minneapolis police officer. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison was asked on CBS’ “60 Minutes” about his reaction when the jury came back with a guilty verdict in the high-profile case last week. “Gratitude — humility — followed by a certain sense of, I’ll say satisfaction. It’s what we were aiming for the whole time,” Ellison responded, according to a transcript of the interview. “I spent 16 years as a criminal defense lawyer, so, I will...

Attorney General of Minnesota Keith Ellison said Tuesday that the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial was not justice. “I would not call today’s verdict justice, however, because justice implies true restoration,” Ellison said. “But it is accountability, which is the first step toward justice.” The jury found Chauvin guilty on all three charges of killing George Floyd; second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Ellison spoke to reporters at a press conference after the verdict. “Now the cause of justice is in your hands,” he said. “And when I say your hands, I mean, the people of...

On Tuesday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “The Last Word,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) stated that unless there is societal change after the George Floyd case, “we’re going to be right back here again” and “we can’t be denying the right to vote to black communities when they’re saying, thank God we’re able to vote for somebody like Keith Ellison to be the attorney general.”

Minnesota’s Muslim African-American Attorney General Keith Ellison did not charge Officer Derek Chauvin with a hate crime or even with intentionally murdering Floyd. So far, the most interesting aspect of the trial of police officer Derek Chauvin are the crimes for which he has not been charged. Chauvin has been vilified for his role in the arrest-related-death of a man resisting arrest. Despite almost a year of riots, ranting and raving by cable news, and even condemnations by supposedly law-and-order radio talk show hosts, Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin is not being charged with the intentional murder of George...

Employees of closed businesses have "bills to pay, children to feed, presents to gift and they're going to lose their homes." More than 150 businesses plan to reopen this week in defiance of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s coronavirus shutdown. The businesses have organized as the Reopen Minnesota Coalition. This group has created a Facebook page and GoFundMe to raise awareness and money for business owners who will likely face legal consequences for their actions. Rural businesses involved in the effort plan to open Wednesday, Dec. 16, while metro businesses will open two days later on Friday. Walz’s current shutdown order...

Minnesota now has a snitch line to report neighbors having company over. I called to see if it was real. I was shocked and angered to hear the message so I announced I planned to have a huge Thanksgiving dinner. My wife is mad I made us a target now. 651-793-3746 Call to hear for yourself!

Omar denied impropriety but terminated financial ties to avoid perception of issues Rep. Ilhan Omar is reportedly severing financial ties with her husband's political consulting firm after previous payments totaling nearly $2.8 million ignited scrutiny and complaints to a campaign finance watchdog. In an email to supporters on Sunday, Omar, D-Minn., said her campaign was terminating its contract with E Street Group to “make sure that anybody who is supporting our campaign with their time or financial support feels there is no perceived issue with that support,” according to the Star Tribune, which first reported the news. The contract...

The group Justice Democrats, which helped elect Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other members of the left-wing “Squad,” recoiled Tuesday at President-elect Joe Biden’s White House staff picks. The influential organization’s public rebuke reflects an internal Democratic Party power struggle two months before Biden takes office. “A Biden administration dominated by corporate-friendly insiders will not help usher in the most progressive Democratic administration in generations… progressives find corporate-friendly Biden appointments unacceptable” the organization wrote on Twitter.

A wild conference call amongst House Democrats, details of which leaked on Twitter Thursday, shows emotional lawmakers distraught with Nancy Pelosi and the ‘Squad’ over their party’s disastrous election performance. Democrats had expected to pick up 10-15 seats on election day and have instead seen Republicans gain six net seats while being on track to net 10 seats overall. Several members of the caucus “angrily confronted” Pelosi over the losses and blasted radical progressives for tying the party to efforts to “defund the police” and “socialism.”

This wasn't a memorial by the actual synagogue that was shot up. Instead Bend the Arc, a toxic leftist group backed by Soros' son, tried to hijack the memorialization of the mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue by an alt-righter to push an anti-Israel and anti-Jewish agenda. And who better to invite to that kind of circus than Senator Bernie Sanders. Sanders delivered, bashing Israel, and insisting that the shooting of 11 Jews wasn't really about Jews, but about "multiracial democracy" and "immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ people". Then he shifted over to insisting, "All over the world...

The venue for President Donald Trump’s political rally in Minnesota scheduled for Friday will be restricted to only 250 people after Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison put pressure on the business owners of multiple locations. The rally was initially planned at the Rochester airport, but Ellison’s office demanded a “COVID preparedness plan” from officials from the City of Rochester, Olmsted County, and the Rochester airport, as well as the Republican National Committee to ensure the event was safe. The event was then moved to Dodge Center, prompting Ellison’s office to ask the Trump campaign and the owner of the building...

Donald Trump has criticized Minnesota's Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison as COVID-19 restrictions in the state have forced the Trump campaign to downsize a rally due to be held on Friday. The president's rally was originally planned for Rochester Airport, but reports on Thursday indicated that the campaign had moved the event to the property of two businesses in the city of Dodge Center. However, after some confusion, it was later announced that the rally would take place at the airport and that entry would be restricted to the first 250 people to arrive. -snip- In response...