News Roundup

Published for NC Criminal Law on March 12, 2021.

Trial began this week for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who killed George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for several minutes while arresting him for allegedly using a counterfeit bill at a convenience store.  Chauvin is facing Minnesota state murder and manslaughter charges.  The trial is drawing significant media attention, with some outlets publishing live updates and planning to livestream the proceedings after jury selection is completed.  USA Today reported Thursday that six jurors have been seated and that the state has raised two Batson challenges to defense strikes of Hispanic potential jurors, neither of which have been sustained.  Keep reading for more news. George Floyd Policing Legislation.  As the New York Times reports, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act last week, legislation that among other things modifies the law of qualified immunity and places restrictions on the use of deadly force and chokeholds.  The bill, which did not have bipartisan support, is not expected to pass the Senate. ICE.  The Charlotte Observer reports that the North Carolina House passed legislation along party lines this week that would require sheriffs to cooperate with federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement when the agency has issued an ICE detainer for a person in custody.  The bill, S 101, is similar to a 2019 bill that Governor Roy Cooper vetoed. Hepatitis Testing.  North Carolina Health News reports that a federal class-action lawsuit by state inmates against the North Carolina Department of Public Safety which alleged [...]