美国国家公共电台 NPR In civil rights trial over George Floyd's death, jurors will begin deliberations

In civil rights trial over George Floyd's death, jurors will begin deliberations

Transcript¹

The federal trial in the death of George Floyd goes to jurors following more than four weeks of testimony² from the three ex-police officers who were on duty with Derek Chauvin when he killed Floyd.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Jurors in Minnesota are expected to begin deliberations today in the trial of the three former Minneapolis police officers who were on duty with Derek Chauvin when he killed George Floyd. After a month of testimony, the jury will now decide whether the men are guilty of violating Floyd's civil rights. Matt Sepic of Minnesota Public Radio reports.

MATT SEPIC, BYLINE³: J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao are charged with failing to get medical care to George Floyd as Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for 9 1/2 minutes. Kueng and Thao are also accused of not intervening to stop Chauvin, who pleaded guilty in this federal case. He's serving a 22 1/2 year sentence following his state murder trial last spring. The government presented much of the same evidence included in the first trial, like body camera video, where Floyd is heard telling officers 23 times that he can't breathe.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: He's not responsive right now. We got to call it in (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Unresponsive?

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: Right now.

SEPIC: During her closing yesterday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Manda Sertich argued the men had plenty of opportunities to save Floyd's life. But, she said, they were indifferent to his pain. Rather than stopping, quote, "the crime in front of him," Sertich said Thao mocked and argued with a half dozen bystanders as they begged officers to ease up. Kueng, Sertich said, pressed down on Floyd's handcuffed wrists. While Thomas Lane is heard on the video twice asking Chauvin to turn Floyd on his side, Sertich said Lane still did nothing to get Floyd the medical attention he desperately⁴ needed. Angi Porter, a professor and research fellow at Georgetown University Law Center, says prosecutors⁵ presented their arguments well. But, she says, the legal issues could be challenging for jurors because the case is not about what the defendants⁶ did, but what they allegedly failed to do.

ANGI PORTER: From a typical jury member perspective, that's big - the fact that somebody can be held accountable for something they didn't do, it feels a lot different from holding someone like Chauvin responsible for something he did do.

SEPIC: During their closing, defense⁷ attorneys focused largely on Floyd's actions. Robert Paule, who represents Thao, said that when officers first tried to put Floyd in the squad⁸ car, he engaged in, quote, "active resistance" and exhibited, quote, "superhuman strength." Kueng's attorney, Thomas Plunkett, argued his client's training on the duty to intervene policy was inadequate⁹. And like Lane, Kueng was in his first week on the job and felt he had to defer¹⁰ to Chauvin, a 19-year veteran. All three former officers testified in their own defense, something University of St. Thomas law professor Mark Osler says generally worked in their favor. The key challenge for them is the extended period of time that Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck. Osler says if the jury convicts any of the defendants, that could lead to major changes in police training and culture.

MARK OSLER: We haven't seen a case like this one that so squarely raised that question of the duty to intervene by officers who are standing¹¹ nearby. So I think it's very important for that discussion and whether or not we have that discussion going forward.

SEPIC: Whether or not the federal jury convicts the former officers, they still face charges of aiding and abetting¹² murder and manslaughter in another state case that's scheduled for trial this summer. For NPR News, I'm Matt Sepic in Minneapolis.

(SOUNDBITE OF TULPA'S "THE BIRDS AND BEES")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

5 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

6 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

9 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

10 defer   

vt.推迟，拖延；vi.(to)遵从，听从，服从

参考例句：

• We wish to defer our decision until next week.我们希望推迟到下星期再作出决定。
• We will defer to whatever the committee decides.我们遵从委员会作出的任何决定。

11 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

12 abetting   

v.教唆（犯罪）( abet的现在分词 )；煽动；怂恿；支持

参考例句：

• On Earth, unknowingly abetting a criminal doesn't merit this kind of punishment. 在地球上，不知不觉地帮助罪犯并不构成这种惩罚。 来自电影对白
• "By aiding and abetting murder, the Taliban regime is committing murder." 援助和唆使谋杀的塔利班政权与杀人犯同罪。 来自互联网