Derek Chauvin's defense team rested its case Thursday after the former Minneapolis police officer said that he would not testify at his murder trial, invoking his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.
Why it matters: The impact of the Derek Chauvin trial, seen by advocates as one of the most crucial civil rights cases in decades, is reverberating across the country. Closing arguments are expected by April 19.
Between the lines: Taking the stand could have opened Chauvin to "devastating cross-examination, with prosecutors replaying the video of the arrest and forcing Chauvin to explain, one frame at a time, why he kept pressing down on Floyd," AP reports.
- Testifying would have also given Chauvin the opportunity to publicly defend himself.
- The only time he had been heard defending himself during the trial was when the jury listened to body-camera footage from the scene, when Chauvin told a bystander: “We gotta control this guy ’cause he’s a sizable guy ... and it looks like he’s probably on something.”
Go deeper:
- Chauvin defense calls first witnesses as prosecution rests case
- Defense use-of-force expert says Chauvin's actions were "justified"
- Judge denies Chauvin lawyers' motion to sequester jury after Daunte Wright shooting
- Top homicide lieutenant: Chauvin's use of force was "totally unnecessary"
- Medical examiner: Police restraint was "just more than Floyd could take"
