Almost Half Of Americans Believe Derek Chauvin Is Guilty, Poll Says

A recent Morning Consult poll revealed that most respondents were not closely tracking the arguments made by the prosecution and defense in Chauvin's trial.

According to the pollster, the reasons for this lack of focus were divided across party lines. Democrats were more likely to suggest trauma, emotional upset, and an expectation that nothing would change regardless of the outcome. Conversely, Republicans were more likely to not be interested in the trial.

"Responses among Black voters roughly mirrored those from Democrats: About a third who are not paying close attention to the trial cited emotional trauma and their expectation that the trial won’t change anything."

According to Vox, the trial is retraumatizing Black Americans.

"The palpable effects of this trauma have been visible in the mental health of Black Americans, and in the witnesses taking the stand," the outlet wrote.

Howard Stevenson, a clinical psychologist who focuses on racial trauma and racial stress, said the case is igniting "historical trauma."

"Memories of other Black men being killed by the police play in our emotional movie and we depend on those memories to make sense of traumas."

The publication also underlined the intense emotional reactions of witnesses like Charles McMillian, Donald Williams II, and Genevieve Hansen.

The racial unrest sparked by Floyd's death has caused pushback from some conservatives.

According to Ben Shapiro, there is no evidence that suggests Chauvin's actions toward Floyd were motivated by race. Nevertheless, the commentator predicted that if Chauvin is acquitted, the decision will be linked to racism.

As The Inquisitr reported, Shapiro also underlined alleged problems with the prosection's case against Chauvin. In particular, he pointed to reporting that suggested the prosecution is breaking from the findings of Hennepin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Andrew Baker.

As The Inquisitr reported, a 9-year-old witness claimed that Chauvin had to be forced from Floyd's neck when medics arrived at the scene. Another witness corroborated the claim that Chauvin still had his knee on Floyd's neck when paramedics arrived. 

According to the second witness, the police officers at the scene refused to check Floyd's pulse at the request of firefighter Genevieve Hansen.

Floyd was allegedly restrained by Chauvin for 3 minutes after his pulse was finally taken and it was determined that he did not have one.