‘Hail Mary time’ for Derek Chauvin’s defence: Legal experts

All Chauvin’s defence team must do is sow doubt in one juror, but lawyers say this could be an uphill battle.

The prosecution in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin made a strong case for conviction that puts the defence in a “Hail Mary” situation after weeks of expert testimony and repeated plays of the video showing George Floyd’s death, lawyers have told Al Jazeera. The prosecutorial team, comprised of two assistant prosecutors Matthew Frank and Erin Eldridge and outside lawyers Jerry Blackwell and Steve Schleicher, rested their case on Tuesday, allowing for defence attorney Eric Nelson to present Chauvin’s side. “Overall, they should be very proud of their presentation. The experts they chose were just magnificent,” Mike Padden, a lawyer with 34 years’ experience trying cases in Minneapolis, told Al Jazeera.