Inside Law&Crime Network’s Coverage of the Historic Derek Chauvin Trial

The May 2020 death of George Floyd inflamed the nation, and the world. After a witness captured cellphone video of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling for around eight minutes on Floyd’s neck, as he called out to his mother, hundreds of thousands of people joined marches, demonstrations, and protests. They were demanding accountability for Floyd’s death, and for the killing of unarmed Black men – and women – by police, and others.

Now, the criminal justice system will weigh in: Chauvin’s criminal trial, in which he faces multiple murder charges, starts Monday, and Mediaite sister multi-platform network Law&Crime is providing complete coverage and analysis every step of the way.

It’s the first criminal trial in Minneapolis’ history that can be watched, either via broadcast or streaming on Law&Crime, in its entirety. Attorney and host Brian Buckmire, reporter Angenette Levy, and producer Cathy Russon will be on the ground at the courthouse in downtown Minneapolis, keeping up with all the developments as they happen.

Buckmire, a public defense attorney specializing in homicide cases, said that when it comes to Chauvin, even people who don’t have a connection to the trial itself feel invested in the outcome.

“Because of the extent to which we saw the alleged crime happen on video, a lot more people want to participate in this case,” Buckmire said. “The video wasn’t blurry, it’s not like we can’t see this, or we don’t know that – we can all be a juror and see what’s going on.”

“George Floyd was one of the larger sparks to start a summer of unrest after killings of unarmed Black men,” Buckmire added. “Everyone wants to see it. Everyone’s on the edge of their seat.”

“We’re posting up right outside the Hennepin County courthouse,” Buckmire told Mediaite. “When we say gavel-to-gavel coverage, that’s exactly what it is: we get there before the court opens, and we’re there after it closes.”

Levy said the Law&Crime team is ready for the challenge of covering a trial where every word will be scrutinized.

“We’re going to do our best to give viewers the best coverage, the best information,” Levy said.“The trial goes to a lot of issues in our society, whether it’s police reform, police use of force, and the treatment of people who are addicts,” Levy added, noting that it was alleged in court that Floyd had been an opioid addict.

All the trial action will come directly from a pool camera that Law&Crime will be airing as it happens. Gaining access to the trial wasn’t always guaranteed, as prosecutors had opposed broadcasting the entire trial, arguing that media could cover it from overflow rooms and closed-circuit cameras. Judge Peter Cahill, citing social distancing requirements due to the coronavirus pandemic, has twice denied the prosecution’s requests to prohibit a video camera in the courtroom.

Levy said that such access means Law&Crime can give viewers front-row access to what will surely be a trial for the history books.

“Where everything is streamed and everyone can watch… it gives a great window into how the courts and justice system works,” Levy said. “The people who support the prosecution and saw the video are going to say this is an open and shut case, but that’s not always how the law works.”

Law&Crime Network president Rachel Stockman says having a camera in the courtroom for this trial is crucial.

“It shows the importance of having cameras in court,” Stockman told Mediaite. “People need to see the process. You see the outrage and emotions, and the important part of the story. Americans need to see what happens next, to see whether the legal process works the way it should.”

During jury selection, Levy said, there was a heavy protestor presence at times, but everything was peaceful.

“I didn’t see any counterprotesters supporting Derek Chauvin,” Levy said. I think anybody who is supporting Derek Chauvin isn’t showing up at the courthouse. They’re online. The big groups you’re seeing show up at the courthouse are supportive of the prosecution’s case, and George Floyd.”

Buckmire doesn’t expect consistent demonstrations or protests during the entire trial, but instead believes that there will be “ebbs and flows.”

“I expect the most people to be there during verdict watch,” Buckmire told Mediaite. “It’s a piece of history. Everyone’s going to say ‘This is where I was for the verdict,'”

In Buckmire’s view, the impact of this trial, whatever way it goes, will be historic.

“This is the Rodney King of our generation,” Buckmire said, referring to the Los Angeles man who was violently attacked by police in 1991. The incident was caught on video, and when the four white officers involved were acquitted in 1992, Los Angeles erupted into five days of violence that resulted in more than 50 deaths.

“I anticipate that I’ll be having the same conversation with my children, but it’s not going to be about Rodney King, it’s going to be about George Floyd,” said Buckmire, who is Black. “My kids are going to be reading a book in school about George Floyd, and they’re going to ask me to tell them about what happened.”

You can watch Law&Crime Network live coverage of the trial on cable, most major OTT platforms as well as on the Law&Crime app.