Chauvin Juror Defends His Participation in Last Summer's March on Washington

Brandon Mitchell, one of those jurors in the murder trial of ex-cop Derek Chauvin, is speaking out about his participation in last August’s March on Washington, where he was pictured wearing a “Black Lives Matter” hat and a t-shirt that said, “Get your knee off our necks.” 

All of the jurors were asked if they or anyone close to them had participated in protests about police use of force or police brutality. Mitchell checked the “no” box. He was also asked about Black Lives Matter by Chauvin’s defense attorney during jury selection.

In a TV interview, Mitchell said he was being truthful when he said he had not attended police brutality protests. He said the march he attended was not about police brutality, but commemorated the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech.” 

“Either way I was going to D.C for this event. Even if George Floyd was still alive. Being able to attend the same location where Martin Luther King gave his speech was a historic moment,” Mitchell said.

But many are asking if the verdict in Chauvin’s case is in jeopardy of being overturned because Mitchell did not reveal he had attended the march. 

“If you have a juror who did not tell the truth, if you have it, about this particular issue, that’s going to be a godsend for the defense. They’re going to make a motion for a new trial,” famed defense attorney Tom Mesereau told Inside Edition.
 
Mitchell, a 31-year-old high school basketball coach, is so far the only juror to speak out after the guilty verdict.

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