Leid Sotries - 04.13.21

From all indications, the Derek Chauvin case will wind up soon.

It appears Chauvin will not take the stand in his own defense.

His lawyers instead will lean heavily on "expert witness" testimony that uniformly cited George Floyd's tenuous state of health up to and including  at the time of his arrest, and that Floyd's prolonged resistance to being arrested caused his tragic death on May 25 last year.

The defense coursed the jury through a cocktail of drugs found in Floyd's system during an autopsy and walked them through what were described as abnormalities of Floyd's heart brought on by prolonged drug use.

But it wasn't drug use that killed George Floyd, prosecutors said. It was Chauvin's use of a painful and illegal method of restraint that cut off Floyd's blood flow and air supply for about nine and a half minutes. Floyd was already dead by the time an ambulance reached the scene.

So, without Chovin's testimony and the opportunity to question him, what is likely to be the outcome of this trial?

Leid Stories listeners offer their opinions.