Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

When do the post office & the dmv weigh in on the wuhan virus?

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

This must be what justice looks like, not vengeful, just peaceful exuberance.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

Joe Biden can go out like FDR, not by dying in office, but by crushing the fascists.

Wake up. Grow up. Get in the fight.

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

Everyone is in a bubble, but some bubbles model reality far better than others!

Not all heroes wear capes.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

How can republicans represent us when they don’t trust women?

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Guilty on All Counts

Reader Interactions

238Comments

  1. 1.

    cain

    I look eagerly for the sentencing and see what that ends up being.
    Also, what about those other officers?

  9. 9.

    dr. bloor

    @cain: I’m guessing any plea deals the DA’s office might have on the table are looking a lot more appealing to them right now.

  10. 10.

    Kent

    He will get serious time. He is 45 years old. He won’t be getting out until he is an old man.

  11. 11.

    mali muso

    Tears of relief and I’m still kind of shaking.  May this be the start of a movement towards justice.

  13. 13.

    Mary G

    What a relief. I have never seen a more horrifying tape. Just right into the camera lens “yeah, I’m killing him and there’s nothing you can do about it” with no emotion whatsoever. He had better get a good long sentence, for life preferably, but that judge sounds totally prejudiced in Chauvin’s favor.

  16. 16.

    Karen S.

    Maybe I’m numb, but I can’t say I’m happy. I mean, I guess I am, but I feel like I can’t exhale yet. I don’t know when I’ll feel like it’s safe to do so.

  17. 17.

    Eunicecycle

    I am crying and having a glass of wine. THANK GOD!!! or FSM! Or (your choice of deity)!

  18. 18.

    Kent

    @Tom Levenson:

    @Phylllis: I wouldn’t be surprised after this verdict if one or more of them take a deal.

    If one is offered.

    I bet they get offered.   MN doesn’t want to roll the dice and risk any sort of acquittal.  They will offer and take the deal.  The got the big fish.

  19. 19.

    PenAndKey

    @Ukai: This has basically been my biggest concern the whole time. The judge gave me a few scares with their talk about appeals and trying to chastise people outside of the courtroom for discussing the case, but the violence was always going to be spearheaded by the supremacists.

  22. 22.

    James E Powell

    Since there’s a 300+ comment thread below, let’s give WP a break and start a new open thread.

    Damn, I felt like we were all in the mood to go for a TBogg

  23. 23.

    The Dangerman

    Whew. I could use a smoke but I don’t smoke. I could use a drink but can’t drink. Huh. Call it a conundrum.

  24. 24.

    Mary G

    In the wake of this verdict, I hope you'll join me in calling for America's police to remain peaceful and stay off the streets.— Jesse Thorn (@JesseThorn) April 20, 2021

  25. 25.

    Suzanne

    @Kent: Chauvin isn’t leaving prison alive. I say that with no joy or malice. Does anyone think that anyone can or will keep him safe?!

  26. 26.

    Elizabelle

    @Ukai:

    Now we only have to worry about white supremacists rioting in response.

    They are cowards.  They may do something, but why give them the bandwidth?

  28. 28.

    Kent

    @JustRuss:@Cheryl Rofer:  I can’t help wondering if those cops walking Chauvin out of the court think of him as a  monster or one of their own.

    I’m guessing that most of them are pissed as hell that he fucked up everything for them.  Made them all look bad.  Made their jobs worse and harder.  Etc. etc.

  29. 29.

    Benw

    I want to virtually hug EVERY SINGLE PERSON who showed up for the BLM protests. Justice happened because the PEOPLE demanded it.

    Giant shout out to the brave BIPOC activists who led the protests.

  30. 30.

    Kent

    @Suzanne:@Kent: Chauvin isn’t leaving prison alive. I say that with no joy or malice. Does anyone think that anyone can or will keep him safe?!

    Yes, I do.  We are talking about MN, a largely white state.  The prisons are full of white racist neo-Nazi gangs.  He will find his people in prison who will treat him as a fucking hero.

  32. 32.

    Redshift

    @Ukai:

    Now we only have to worry about white supremacists rioting in response.

    Sadly, I can’t agree. We also need to worry about police starting crap with peaceful celebrations, because anti-police rallies are always met with more violence than other kinds. And police deciding that protests/celebrations are the most dangerous thing in town and putting most of their forces there, leaving other places unprotected for opportunistic looters that they’ll blame on the protests.

    Hopefully not. I’m by nature an optimist, but I’ve learned to keep that under control at times like this.

  39. 39.

    Cheryl Rofer

  41. 41.

    randy khan

    I am not happy; I am relieved.  A small quantum of justice was achieved, but it’s telling how many of us followed the trial and still harbored doubts that it would happen.

    I hope this helps Floyd’s soul rest in peace, and gives some comfort to his family and loved ones.

  43. 43.

    Alison Rose

    @Suzanne: With the caveat that everything I “know” about this sort of thing comes from Law and Order, wouldn’t a police officer be kept out of general population? Not necessarily solitary confinement, but not mixed in with other prisoners. They know he’d have a massive target on him the moment he stepped through the doors.

  44. 44.

    Another Scott

    @Suzanne: In the discussion with Barr about a plea deal (see the NBCNews link downstairs), Chauvin was apparently thinking that he would be safer in a federal pen somewhere outside of MN.  It looks like he won’t get his wish.

    “If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.” – wasn’t that the saying??…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  45. 45.

    Mary G

    Darnella Frazier demonstrated courage and perseverance in filming what she knew was wrong. This verdict does not happen without her. Thank you Darnella; you have changed our country forever.— Pete Souza (@PeteSouza) April 20, 2021

  46. 46.

    Kent

    @dr. bloor:

    @Kent:

    I wouldn’t lay odds on his getting out at all.  He must be shitting his pants right now.

    Reporting on this blog in the last comment thread were that the judge is some sort of Fox News conservative type.  Who jacked off about Waters for Christ sake.  The sentence is entirely up to him.  He will have to follow the guidelines.  But he doesn’t have to throw the book at him and give him maximum consecutive sentences.

    I would expect pretty middle of the road sentences served concurrently.    That is still probably  12.5 to 20 years.

  47. 47.

    Ohio Mom

    Woot! Woot!

    I’ve been off-line this afternoon, what a great headline to greet me!

    May this be the first of many more instances of justice meted out to law enforcement.

  49. 49.

    Lavocat

    @Patricia Kayden: My wife and I were just talking about this. That footage should be in the Smithsonian. It’s our generation’s equivalent of the Zapruder footage of JFK. THANK GOD for that woman. Can you imagine what would have happened if that wonderful woman had not had the presence of mind to record the incident? Now, imagine how many MORE of these incidents have NEVER been captured on film. Van Jones made reference to this just now on CNN. All those unfilmed police killings.

  52. 52.

    Kent

    @burnspbesq:

    @dr. bloor:

    He’ll be in solitary for the entirety of his term. He’s a dead man in the general population.

    You underestimate how many white skinheads and neo-Nazi types are in the prisons in a largely white state like MN.  He is more likely to be a hero to a significant portion of the prison population.

    The only kind of prisoners that are universally hated are the pedophile types.

  55. 55.

    dr. bloor

    @burnspbesq: ​
     

    I’d guess he’s also a suicide risk. He’s a sociopath for sure, but I don’t think he’s wired for a long bid. He thought that badge was his stay-out-of-jail-free-and-forever card.

  56. 56.

    WV Blondie

    Also, I keep thinking of Mark Slackmeyer about John Mitchell: “Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!”

  57. 57.

    Wyatt Salamanca

    This is a promising start.

    For an encore, I need to see Donald Trump indicted and convicted of tax evasion or anything else that will place him behind bars where he fucking belongs.

  58. 58.

    Mary G

    @Baud: Game recognizes game. Pete Souza is a pro. I am not at all sure I would have been able to stand there filming with the other three cops loose. My hands would’ve been shaking and I’d probably have started barfing or attacking Chauvin if it had been me.

  59. 59.

    Cheryl Rofer

    Her name is Darnella Frazier.

  61. 61.

    JML

    @Kent: 

    He’s still a cop, though. I doubt he ever hits gen pop.

    Not sure I can really bring myself to care much about Chauvin’s prison fate.

  64. 64.

    hilts

    @WV Blondie:

    Also, I keep thinking of Mark Slackmeyer about John Mitchell: “Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!”

    One of the dangers of scrolling through a thread at 90 mph.

    At first, I thought you’d written Joni Mitchell!

  65. 65.

    Elizabelle

    @Wyatt Salamanca: 

    The Flying Spaghetti Monster is listening. With interest.

    @WaterGirl: 

    Is it too much to hope that the tide is turning?

    There is always hope. And lots and lots of work ahead.

    Celebrate this verdict and …. next!

  68. 68.

    Suzanne

    @Alison Rose: I don’t know the answer to that, but I cannot imagine he’ll be safe if he’s not in solitary. I am sure that what Kent says is correct and that there are lots of white thugs in there. I am also sure that there is at least one person there who has a problem with cops in general or Chauvin specifically.

  69. 69.

    Baud

    @JML:

    Not sure I can really bring myself to care much about Chauvin’s prison fate.

    I care about rule of law as a general matter, and I don’t like the idea of prisons being a lawless place.  Whether its prison rape or inmate killings.  None of that is tied to Chauvin’s particular fate, as opposed to anyone else, however.

  72. 72.

    Patricia Kayden

    Agreed. There’s nothing to celebrate until this becomes the norm.

    A guilty verdict today only avoids one injustice today. It does not address the other injustices of today, yesterday, and tomorrow. We need to get to a point where a guilty verdict for a police officer like Derek Chauvin is a foregone conclusion, not a pleasant surprise.— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@BettyBowers) April 20, 2021

  74. 74.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Wyatt Salamanca:

    For an encore, I need to see Donald Trump indicted and convicted of tax evasion or anything else that will place him behind bars where he fucking belongs. 

    He and the rest of his shitstain crime family (including most of the bastard administration) belong in a Sun-bound rocket.

  75. 75.

    Patricia Kayden

    @Kent: Or hopefully not at all. He sat on a man’s neck for 9 minutes. Whatever happens to him in prison, I don’t care.

  76. 76.

    Miss Bianca

    @WV Blondie: Me too. What can I say, Doonesbury was a primer for tender young minds, mine included.

    In fact, I now wonder whether a precocious taste for Doonesbury might have been a formative factor in my political coming of age. I grew up in a conservative WASP-y GOP home and environment, and I had become a die-hard, pro-union, pro-environment, Mother Jones and Nation-reading Democrat by the time I was 17.

  79. 79.

    mali muso

    Keith Ellison speaking now. I like that he points out that it’s not justice but it’s accountability. And that’s a step.

  81. 81.

    FelonyGovt

    So relieved. I was really worried about a hung jury, thinking there might be one or more racist holdouts on the jury.

  84. 84.

    Redshift

    @Kent:

    Reporting on this blog in the last comment thread were that the judge is some sort of Fox News conservative type. 

    Has anyone cited any evidence for that other than the Maxine Waters comment? Because the only comments I see in the last thread are that he must be that sort based on that comment, not “reporting.”

    I haven’t obsessively read all the threads, so if there is actual evidence, I’d be glad to hear it, but what I’ve seen from legal professionals online was that the comment wasn’t particularly out of line with things judges say, and mainly meant “no, I’m not declaring a mistrial, you’re welcome to use that in an appeal if you want.”

  85. 85.

    JPL

    Sen. Tim Scott R-SC: “There is no question in my mind that the jury reached the right verdict.”

  86. 86.

    The Thin Black Duke

    Maybe that punk will be safe in prison, thanks to his fellow neo-nazis. But he won’t be happy.

  90. 90.

    Martin

    Not happy so much as relieved. We have an anecdotal data point. Still waiting on a measurable trend.

  91. 91.

    cain

    @Cheryl Rofer:

    What crap.. the system worked because it was forced to. Without that cell phone showing 9 minutes and 30 seconds of someone dying.. the man would still be patrolling around.

  95. 95.

    Martin

    @Redshift: I think it’s safe to say that a universal quality of judges is they don’t like it when anyone makes their job harder.

  96. 96.

    Patricia Kayden

    Hero

    Darnella Frazier was just a 17-year-old taking her 9-year-old cousin out for snacks when she stopped and filmed Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd's neck.— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 20, 2021

  100. 100.

    Cameron

    The Tucker Carlsons of the world will probably try to spin this verdict as some sort of Democratic Deep State socialist conspiracy, but I can’t see that being very successful with anybody who doesn’t believe right-wing racist crap already.

  102. 102.

    Cheryl Rofer

    This…is not good

  103. 103.

    Warren Senders

    I was watching “Invictus” on Netflix & just as they won the game in the movie, the verdict was announced. A whole nation burst into whoops and cheers on my screen.

  105. 105.

    MisterForkbeard

    @cain: True. There was overwhelming evidence and media attention and there was still a strong possibility he’d be acquitted.

    Most of the other police brutality and murder cases won’t get this attention or result. But it’s still a positive result, and I’m happy the FoP isn’t just screaming and yelling about this the way the various right-wing sites are.

    For laughs and/or despair, check our any of he rightwing social hubs. They’re (to a person) flipping the table over and screaming.

    @Cheryl Rofer: Yeah, that’s awkwardly worded. You know what she’s going for, but he didn’t ‘sacrifice his life for justice’. I would have said it very differently, something along the lines of “though you were taken from us unjustly, we know that justice was served in this case and we hope it and other cases like it is an example of the good things that can come from awful events.” etc

  107. 107.

    Baud

    @cain:

    I see our blog host has not yet weighed in. I expect he will soon enough.

    Doubt it. The crows have him now.

  110. 110.

    hueyplong

    Kudos to the videographer who precluded a made up account of what happened, and to whoever was in charge of jury selection on the prosecution team.  If there were any jury nullification fans in the pool, they didn’t make it past the strikes.

    This little piece of justice doesn’t happen without good people doing good things in opposition to evil.

  115. 115.

    Cheryl Rofer

    @Elizabelle: Floyd did not die voluntarily for a cause. He was killed by a murderous cop. Volition is an important part of sacrifice.

    The statement sounds perfunctory, as if Pelosi would just like all this to be over with.

  120. 120.

    Patricia Kayden

    Today, a jury did the right thing. But true justice requires much more. Michelle and I send our prayers to the Floyd family, and we stand with all those who are committed to guaranteeing every American the full measure of justice that George and so many others have been denied. pic.twitter.com/mihZQHqACV— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 20, 2021

  121. 121.

    Suzanne

    I was just musing that when some geek in Seattle or Cupertino or wherever thought about putting a camera on a phone, who would have imagined this kind of social power.

  123. 123.

    Cheryl Rofer

  126. 126.

    Elizabelle

    @Cheryl Rofer:   Democratic women in Congress.  Don’t let them near a mike!

    I don’t think anyone sane thinks George Floyd was a suicide.  And his loss, and Emmet Till’s, and Trayvon’s, and everyone else’s — were murders.

    And, in a way, they are sacrifices, too, out of which justice either arrives, or — most of the time, almost all of the time previously — was denied.

    Not gonna go hunting for clouds today.  These three — count them — ALL THREE — guilty verdicts were a long time coming.

    Not picking on you, but must we always be so hypercritical of our own side?

  128. 128.

    VeniceRiley

    @Redshift: 1) Judge reams out black female witness with super unnecessary condescending tone.  Judge goes out right wing narrative about Waters. I doubt he even know what she actually said … only what Quevin McQuarthy and all his cohort characterized the Congresswoman’s comments as violent.  What she said was “confrontational.”
    As in “Confront your oppressors.”

    So when a middle aged white guy with authority behaves like a duck … well, you know.

  130. 130.

    hueyplong

    It is a good but somber day, so I feel guilty wondering whether  Jenna Ellis is choking on that bag of salty appendages to which she is so richly entitled.

  132. 132.

    Served

    @Elizabelle: Yes we should be on this. It’s a REALLY bad thing to say right now! She’s not good at winging it, and she shouldn’t have said it at this moment. If it was a prepared remark, it’s even worse.

    The reflexive defensiveness on the behalf Democratic officials here is approaching Republican levels.

  134. 134.

    Gvg

    @cain: Well all systems need help. It is actually hard to know the truth when you don’t have a video of perfect evidence. Have you ever read about witness statements when compared to video? People aren’t that observant. 4 witnesses describe different things, etc. it is OK for systems to need help. That is the job of all of us when we are needed.

    And we are all supposed to stand up and force justice. It is built into our system to expect us too, because there is no other way that works.

  136. 136.

    Baud

    @Served:

    No, we should drop it. It’s not Republicanism. It’s making a mountain out of a molehill.  It’s worth noting perhaps, but then moving on to important things.

  138. 138.

    Cheryl Rofer

    @Elizabelle: I’m just quoting Pelosi. And yes, it’s a bad quote.

    I don’t share the unquestioning love that many here have for her. She is a great Speaker of the House, but she is human and sometimes gets things wrong. I don’t think that diminishes her.

  139. 139.

    Served

    <p data-mce-fragment=”1″><a href=”#comment-8148547″ data-mce-fragment=”1″>@Baud</a>: ​</p>
    <p data-mce-fragment=”1″></p>
    <p data-mce-fragment=”1″><a href=”#comment-8148547″ data-mce-fragment=”1″>@Baud</a>: ​</p>
    &nbsp;

    Exhibit A of what I said: A comment on a blog making a mountain out of a molehill? Grow up and let people criticize people when they do something wrong.

  140. 140.

    Another Scott

    @Cheryl Rofer:

    Horses’s mouth:

    Today is a solemn day in America. Join me and my colleagues at the United States Capitol as we stand in solidarity after the Derek Chauvin murder trial verdict is announced. https://t.co/cDqszBZCle

    — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) April 20, 2021

    Pelosi’s remarks start at 7:30.

    I think her remarks were fine. She sincerely religious and maybe got a little tongue-tied in that particular phrase.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  143. 143.

    Mary G

    Mayor also an idiot:

    George Floyd came to Minneapolis to better his life. But ultimately his life will have bettered our city. The jury joined in a shared conviction that has animated Minneapolis for the last 11 months. They refused to look away and affirmed he should still be here today.— Mayor Jacob Frey (@MayorFrey) April 20, 2021

  146. 146.

    JPL

    @Baud:  Nancy Pelosi is very religious and when she made the statement, she pointed to the heavens as if she was talking to George Floyd.    The words weren’t meant for me, but to George.

  147. 147.

    Jeffro

    Good lord – Rep Waters is featured in about 40% of Fox News dot com’s top stories at the moment.  Still.  Like, as of this moment (6:15 EST)

    In-san-uh-teeeeeeeee!

  149. 149.

    Cameron

    @Mary G: I cringed a little reading that, but the important thing is the verdict itself, not the quality of the commentary about it.

  150. 150.

    Mary G

    Politician manages to say the right thing:

    Justice has been served. The jury believed what they saw plainly with their eyes. But it should not have come to this. America must change now. We must make the decision to respect the lives of people of color. And do so in deeds, not just with words and lawn signs.— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) April 20, 2021

    ETA: I really like Sen. Murphy and think he’s going places. He’s probably the only politician whose emails I don’t unsubscribe to, because they are about issues and not

    REPUBLICANS ARE BAD

    SEND MONEY NOW

  151. 151.

    The Thin Black Duke

    If you folks are upset at what Nancy said, wait until Tucker Carlson weights in.

  153. 153.

    prostratedragon

    A dark victory.

    Talk about ripples in the force, I seem to have awakened from a deep nap just as this came out. And I see, as noted elsewhere, that the motherfucker has the nerve to look stunned at the verdict. Tilts all that notetaking into The Shining territory.

  156. 156.

    StringOnAStick

    @Miss Bianca: Me too.  Parents were/are raving wing nuts and once a copy of Mother Jones arrived with a provocative cover I was slapped across the face with it.  It just made me even more determined to be on the side of fairness.

  157. 157.

    Mary G

    That a family had to lose a son, brother and father; that a teenage girl had to film and post a murder, that millions across the country had to organize and march just for George Floyd to be seen and valued is not justice.And this verdict is not a substitute for policy change. https://t.co/tiDkhl9Dk4— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 20, 2021

  159. 159.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Baud: I agree. Picking apart what prominent Democratic women say is Twitter and MSM sport.  NP is not one of the most elegant and eloquent off the cuff public speakers out there, so fucking what.  Oh and did you know, she loves ice-cream.

  160. 160.

    TS (the original)

    @Cheryl Rofer:

    Not sure about this at all – but what I always wonder when people vote against unions (recent amazon poll) – do they not see the benefit the police get from their union, the support, the wages, the attacks on anyone who disagrees?

  161. 161.

    Mary G

    Today’s verdict was the right decision. But true justice for George Floyd would mean he would still be here. This is accountability and closure, the first steps towards true, enduring justice. Here are some of the reforms I’d be advocating for in Congress today. pic.twitter.com/SlJ51hPXOo— Ammar Campa-Najjar (@ACampaNajjar) April 20, 2021

  164. 164.

    mrmoshpotato

    @raven: Who’s Jesse, and who put him (her?) in a toaster?  And do you butter or spread jam before the cannibalism?

  167. 167.

    StringOnAStick

    @Baud: There’s been stories here that I’ve wanted to Dr d to my remaining parent, but I knew it would cause a firestorm so I didn’t.  Just like any hard-core RW partisan, nothing anyone can say will impact his point of view, though it would give him something to be enraged about.  He lives to be enraged!

  168. 168.

    prostratedragon

    @WaterGirl: It’s moving something that’s far, far larger than the Ever Given, but it could be. Remember that Laquan McDonald’s killer was also convicted by jury, though on lesser homicide charges, and is currently in prison.

  169. 169.

    Kattails

    @jnfr: whoa. From those eyes, he really did not expect that.

    @Cheryl Rofer: Thanks for all the little extra tidbits you’ve been adding to the mix. The statement from the Fraternal Order of Police reads like a hand-washing to me. And good Luckovich cartoon and damn that was fast!

  170. 170.

    Laura Too

    We have a lot of work to do in my city, but for today I am going to let the sense of peace and love wash over me. It is the first public hugs I’ve had since the riots. I can’t tell you how good it felt! I was standing on a hill with a lot of the press. I rode my bike down to the courthouse, and I was alone. I usually try to at least have 1 contact when I go but there wasn’t anyone to go so I stayed on the edge. Still, when the verdicts were read out and the cheering started I broke down. And I had a bunch of people hugging me. It was so beautiful. For all the ugliness there is so much love.

  172. 172.

    Kropacetic

    @Served: The reflexive defensiveness on the behalf Democratic officials here is approaching Republican levels.

    I don’t think Waters’s comments were super responsible but, frankly, I’m glad we have her bringing a little fire.  A little righteous indignation is wholly justified. She didn’t encourage violence and it’s not like she’s the President; unlike another far, far more egregious purveyor of irresponsible rhetoric that I can think of once was.

    Edited for clarity.

  173. 173.

    MomSense

    I am so relieved.  Let’s pray that this is just the start of holding LEO accountable. And let’s reimagine policing.  As important as this victory is, it will not bring back George Floyd.  We have to work to do.

  174. 174.

    TS (the original)

    @Elizabelle:

    Not picking on you, but must we always be so hypercritical of our own side?

    As you said – it’s more often the women on our own side. The media goes looking for comments from women to quote the parts that they know will be criticised. Gives the GQP something to talk about when the facts are against them

  175. 175.

    JWR

    In other news:

    Ted Nugent, who once dismissed Covid-19, told fans Monday he’s tested positive for it and “can hardly crawl out of bed” due to aches and pains.

    Ha f*cking hah, you Covid denying has-been!

  176. 176.

    cain

    @Baud:

     

    Doubt it. The crows have him now.

    Ahh yes. We have ourselves another Brandon Lee – we’ll soon see him haunting the valley with a crow on his shoulder and a murder above him doling out steamed veggies.

  179. 179.

    cain

    @Gvg: ​
     
    You’re making an assumption of equity here. It’s like the black woman who committed voter fraud accidentally getting 5 years of prison time.

    The system punishes and judges blacks more severely. The scenario you are describing is if everyone involved were middle class white.

  180. 180.

    Arclite

    @Ukai:

    Now we only have to worry about white supremacists rioting in response.

    They are cowards. They won’t do jack shit.

  186. 186.

    gwangung

    @James E Powell: Well, certainly, Republicans never critique their own. I quite like that about our side.

    I also like that we can criticize appropriately. Use a fly swatter when a swatter is warranted.

  187. 187.

    J R in WV

    When I heard that a verdict was ready to be handed up that quickly, I thought then that it would be guilty. Glad i was correct on that issue, at least. Guy looked like he was compelled to do the dirty deed in the video of him killing George Floyd. Stone cold killer in his eyes. Psycho, even. He got what he deserved.

  189. 189.

    Kropacetic

    @Kropacetic: Sorry, I picked up on the wrong thread of criticizing our, ultimately, very talented Congresswomen. But I’m pretty sure Pelosi’s heart is in the right place. Also, too, Catholics and martyrs…

  196. 196.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Kattails:

    And good Luckovich cartoon and damn that was fast!

    Luckovich is almost always on point, whatever the issue, and quite amazingly quick to respond, but in this case I’m guessing he had a couple of versions ready to go so he could just hit the Send button when the verdict came down.

    Not saying this in any way to diminish him. I’m a huge Mike Luckovich fan.

  198. 198.

    bbleh

    @JustRuss: @Kent: I would guess that bailiffs develop a certain kind of clinical detachment. It’s a perp, walk it out.

    @cain: i would also guess that the VAST majority of cops AND politicians are breathing a sigh of relief. Anything less than maybe 2 out of 3 would have been a major injustice, and people would have responded.

  204. 204.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Laura Too:

    Thank you, Laura. We’re all so relieved for you, and I’m so glad you got some love and hugs and peace in person. It really does feel (in a lot of ways, not only the Chauvin verdict) that the Bad Times are beginning to turn around.

  205. 205.

    Patricia Kayden

    I was going to make a celebratory tweet but then I was hit with sadness because we are celebrating something that is clear as day. The fact that so many injustices occurred to make us hold our breath toward this outcome is really telling.— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) April 20, 2021

  206. 206.

    quakerinabasement

    @JustRuss: My guess is neither of those. At worst, some probably think he’s a screwup who made their own jobs more difficult. At best, some might fear they could wind up in the same sorry place some day.

  207. 207.

    laura

    I wish joy to all in this moment of accountability. Let’s  hope that it is a watershed and systemic reform is no longer put off. There’s so much good that can be done and that every Black Man, Woman and Child who live a daily life of trauma because of systemic racism has space to breathe and rest with ease and love.

  208. 208.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @JWR:

    Ted Nugent, who once dismissed Covid-19, told fans Monday he’s tested positive for it and “can hardly crawl out of bed” due to aches and pains.

    Once, many many months ago, I said I wouldn’t wish Covid-19 on anybody.

    I take it back.

  210. 210.

    Barbara

    @zhena gogolia: I can barely stand to fathom an alternative outcome but still, the genesis of this event was a grievous and monumentally cruel act. I can’t bring myself to celebrate.

  213. 213.

    Raoul Paste

    I am so sick of Marjorie Taylor Greene being in the news every damn day, because she’s done something outrageous .     I await her unhelpful comments on this verdict

  216. 216.

    quakerinabasement

    @WaterGirl: I don’t know about a turning tide. What we have finally found is the bottom of the hole. What does it take to convict a white cop of murdering a black man? Video. The jury has to be able to see the murder with their own eyes. That’s what it takes to blow through all the excuses and suppositions, all the “why didn’t he comply?” and “the cop feared for his life.”

    This is justice, finally, but not a place of much hope. This case was exceedingly rare in that the murder was recorded. If this is what it takes to get justice, we can’t expect it very often.

  218. 218.

    zhena gogolia

    @Barbara:

    Yeah. As the relative of a murder victim, there isn’t ever much to celebrate. Sadness and pain all around.

  221. 221.

    JML

    I’m a big Doonesbury guy and I immediately thought of Slackmeyer’s “That’s Guilty! Guilty, Guilty, Guilty!” regarding this, but…it feels a little too flip, a little too triumphant.

  222. 222.

    TomatoQueen

    @Laura Too: ​
     
    Merlin has just said Brrp? and run to the top of the 6 foot bookcase, which means Auntie LauraToo is safe, Mom has yelled Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! twice, and for today, or even just for tonight, we can see a way clear.

  223. 223.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    @cain:

    So when I was a young Public Defender, one of the things we noticed with some cops was a pattern of injuries and charges incident to arrest. It was so bad that when we were in our cups, a bit of morbid humor was espressed, as in a joke narrative that wasn’t far off from what you’d see in arrest citations:

    Subject then assaulted this officers fist with his face no fewer than 10 times, causing injury by abrasion and committing criminal mischief by bleeding on officer’s uniform. He then proceeded to bite this officer’s foot, destroying the corfam shoe by embedding three teeth into the toe in the process. These actions constitute felony Assault 3 and Criminal Mischief 2…

  224. 224.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    On a good note, I’m having a delightful surprise in Wild Turkey Long Branch and an Oliva Series V, principle because Derek Chauvin can’t.

    He’ll have to find his joy in pruno.

  225. 225.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    Oh, and I had a fantastic accomplishment in the office today – I managed to eat spaghetti from the plastic container I brought it in without staining my cream colored polo shirt. Yay me.

  227. 227.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    @Baud:

    Right? I sat during a zoom DNA (Dependency,  Neglect and Abuse) conference zoom docket and chatted with about a dozen fellow lawyers as I did it.

    It was an amazing accomplishment.

  229. 229.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Per Ohio Valley weather rules, it was sunny and 70 this morning. We’re getting wet snow tonight.

    It called for a polo.

  236. 236.

    Ruckus

    @JustRuss:

    Same thought.

    I’d bet that at least one of the two in that picture does not think monster. At the minimum.

    Tom.

    I agree with your post. I will say that the only justice that would be equal would be that DC is no longer alive and I don’t believe in the death penalty. Just because a criminal, like DC, is a murderer, doesn’t mean that I/we should be. I’d like to be a far better person than a shithead like DC. I’d much rather that he’d stay in prison for the rest of his natural life, let’s see if he has any concept of how wrong what he’s done is and has a long, long time to think about it. This is the part that I don’t know how things will go. The judge in this case seems to be rather right wing, but it also could be just his way of being a judge, so in my mind, while I don’t think he’ll give a long sentence, one never knows. I hope that none of the time can be served concurrently so he at least has to serve the minimums for each.

    And if you wonder about my thoughts on the death penalty, let me once again say that I know a person currently in prison for murder, I went to elementary/JHS/HS and church with this person and would never had suspected anything like this from them. I just don’t think it is or should it be our right to take away a life that can be held for the rest of their days. We ask everyone else not to take a life, how can we do that and then decide that the death penalty is OK?

  238. 238.

    Ruckus

    @Kattails:

    He murdered a man not only in cold blood but under the cover of law, and thought there would be no question that he could do that whenever he saw fit. I’d bet his attorney told him what the penalty could be up front if he lost, because otherwise he likely would have acted like the pompous, arrogant, asshole I’d bet good money that he is. This is not the last time this will happen, in one fashion or another, where police kill a person of color, for being a person of color. Cops have been hardwired forever in that they can get away with killing people of color, without much pushback. They haven’t succeeded every single time but this time there was photographic proof that it was a cold blooded murder, under the cover of law and the law lost big time. Because the law is not some racist ass in a uniform with a gun, or a knee, no matter how many times faux news tries to make it one.

Comments are closed.