A 2nd trial is underway in Minnesota, addressing the murder of George Floyd

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A 2nd trial is underway in Minnesota, addressing the murder of George Floyd

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The federal civil rights trial of three former Minneapolis police officers is underway. They are accused of failing to intervene as fellow Officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd in 2020.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

A second trial is underway addressing the 2020 murder of George Floyd. This one is for the officers who failed to intervene as Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck. Here's Matt Sepic of Minnesota Public Radio.

MATT SEPIC, BYLINE²: J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao were with Chauvin on Memorial Day of 2020 as he pinned Floyd to the street, face down, for more than nine minutes. In her opening statement, prosecutor³ Samantha Trepel said the three could have saved Floyd's life. Trepel said, quote, "these three CPR-trained defendants⁴ stood or knelt next to Officer Chauvin as he slowly killed George Floyd right in front of them." Chauvin was the most senior officer in the group. Kueng and Lane were rookies in their first week on the job. They helped hold Floyd down as Thao kept bystanders away.

University of St. Thomas law professor and former federal prosecutor Mark Osler says the case delves⁵ deep into the culture of law enforcement because it focuses not on one officer's actions, but the duty of others.

MARK OSLER: It involves what officers did not do - a failure to intervene, a failure to provide medical care - as opposed to actually performing the act that directly caused his death.

SEPIC: Chauvin pleaded guilty last month to these same federal civil rights charges and is already serving a 22-and-a-half-year state sentence for Floyd's murder. Jurors can expect to see body camera video where rookie officer Lane is twice heard asking Chauvin if they should reposition Floyd.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

THOMAS LANE: Should we roll him on his side?

(CROSSTALK)

LANE: OK.

SEPIC: In his opening statement, Lane's attorney, Earl Gray, said his client, quote, "did everything he could possibly do to help George Floyd." And Kueng's attorney, Thomas Plunkett, added that the case is about a rookie who was, quote, "confronted with a complex, rapidly unfolding set of circumstances." Whatever this federal jury decides, the three former officers still face a separate state trial this summer on charges of aiding and abetting⁶ murder and manslaughter.

For NPR News, I'm Matt Sepic in Minneapolis.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

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 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。

3 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

4 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

5 delves   

v.深入探究，钻研( delve的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• That delves the grave duly. 误不了你的洞房。 来自互联网
• The exhibition delves deep into the physics, aromatics and even the timbre of flatulence. 此次展览向人们介绍了人体物理、气味甚至肠胃胀气的声音等各方面知识。 来自互联网

6 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