Dragons trial

Jurors in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin began deliberations on Monday after a prosecutor implored them to "believe your eyes" as he replayed video of the former Minneapolis police officer kneeling on a dying George Floyd's neck. Chauvin's lead lawyer, Eric Nelson, countered in his own closing argument that Chauvin behaved as any "reasonable police officer" would, saying that he followed his training from 19 years on the force. Over and over again, Steve Schleicher, a prosecutor with the Minnesota Attorney General's office, repeated a phrase: "Nine minutes and 29 seconds" — the length of time Chauvin was captured on video on May 25, 2020, with his knee on Floyd's neck. Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill gave the jury final instructions before it left the courtroom at 4 p.m. (2100 GMT) to begin deliberations. Jurors adjourned after four hours and were sequestered in a hotel. Deliberations resume on Tuesday. Although the verdict will be seen as a reckoning of the way … [Read more...] about Murderer or ‘reasonable officer?’ Jury begins deliberations in Chauvin trial

Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill criticized Rep. Maxine Waters Maxine Moore Waters White House readies for Chauvin verdict McCarthy to introduce resolution to censure Waters House GOP's McClain responds to Pelosi calling her 'that woman' MORE (D-Calif.) for her comments over the weekend regarding the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who's charged with the murder of George Floyd. "I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case, especially in a manner that is disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch and our function," Cahill said after the jury had been sequestered to begin deliberations on Monday. "If they want to give their opinions, they should do so ... in a manner that is consistent with their oath to the Constitution," Cahill continued. ADVERTISEMENT The judge’s comments came after Chauvin defense attorney Eric Nelson argued that Waters’s comments could have prejudiced the jury … [Read more...] about Judge criticizes Waters for remarks during Chauvin trial

The false claim that Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick was killed by being struck by rioters with a fire extinguisher was debunked Monday by the District of Columbia medical examiner — but not before Democrats cited it in the impeachment trial. As Breitbart News’ John Nolte noted , Sicknick was found to have died from natural causes, after he suffered two strokes on the day after the Capitol riot. He was not killed by a fire extinguisher, nor by chemicals in pepper spray or any other weapon. However, Democrats’ House impeachment managers cited the fire extinguisher claim in their trial brief when they urged the Senate to convict former President Donald Trump — even though he had already left office. The impeachment brief claimed (footnotes omitted): After the insurrection, one participant who broke into the Capitol wearing combat gear and carrying zip ties [sic] stated that he acted because “[t]he President asked for his supporters to be there to attend, and I felt … [Read more...] about Democrats Cited Debunked ‘Fire Extinguisher’ Claim in Trump Impeachment Trial

Minnesota state officials are in crisis mode as they and the rest of the world await the jury's decision in the Derek Chauvin trial . Governor Tim Walz declared a public safety emergency Monday, requesting law enforcement backup from neighboring Ohio and Nebraska in addition to the 3,000 active duty National Guard troops on duty guarding businesses and offices. "The world is watching, and we can not get away from the fact that this is our Selma moment," NAACP CEO and President Derrick Johnson told "CBS This Morning" co-host Gayle King, who is in Minneapolis awaiting the verdict. "When you think about Selma, that was about voting reform, to allow our democracy to work," Johnson said. "Right now we're talking about our criminal justice system — the reform to ensure trust and we can feel safe." During the prosecution's closing arguments, attorney Jerry W. Blackwell told jurors to use "common sense." In the jury's final moments in the courtroom, Blackwell told them the … [Read more...] about Breaking down closing arguments in the Chauvin trial as jurors deliberate a verdict: “The world is watching”

Image: Wizards of the Coast Not all of us find it easy to relate to other people. Eventually, through lots of trial and error, and as we age, we develop social skills. However, some kids need a little more help than most people. To aid them, therapists are having them don medieval armor and thrust them into the fantastical world of Dungeons & Dragons. Dungeons & Dragons is a long-running tabletop roleplaying game by Wizards of the Coast. It allows players to take on the role of different characters, be it human, elf, dwarf, orc or something else entirely, then go on adventures. Therapists on the other hand have been using roleplaying as a means to help patients open up regarding their issues. Since Dungeons & Dragons is a game about roleplaying, it becomes less aversive to the children than a therapist asking intimidating questions in some boring counseling room. According to the report on Kotaku, roleplaying in Dungeons & Dragons has more purpose. It puts … [Read more...] about Therapists use Dungeons & Dragons to help kids open up