Are you cautious . Who is with you . Whats the mood . Where are you . And he said philonise and i are in the courthouse. He said the family has faith that Derek Chauvin will be found criminally liable for killing george floyd, and, again, thats from ben crump, the family attorney, and as has been reported earlier, philonise george, the brother of george floyd will be in the courtroom when the verdict is ruled and hes there now with the family attorney and the family attorney, i would imagine together, and they are cautiously optimistic considering the time that it took the jury to deliberate, wolf, and come up with a verdict that its going to be at least in their favor, not exactly sure how they are going to rule on all the charges but there you go, thats the latest from the family and the attorney, wolf blitzer. Well be checking back with them all the time. Sara sidner, just managed to reconnect with you. First of all, tell us where you are and tell us what youre seeing. Reporter all right. Were right across the street from the Hennepin CountyGovernment Center where the court is. We know that George Floyds brother, Philonise Floyd, is inside of the court. We know that we have our reporter inside unfortunate court as well, josh campbell. He is there to listen to the jury read the verdict. We are awaiting. We know that Derek Chauvin is inside the court as well. Chauvin went in about eight minutes past 3 00 local time so 4 08 your time, so everyone is waiting for the jury to come in, and everyone is waiting to hear from the foreperson as to what their decision is. Ill give you an idea of where were standing. If you look to my right, there is a train and the edge of where everything is blocked off around the courthouse. If you look at the little gate thats there. Thats where a lot of folks have been going, brought in and out of the court in cars, and then if you look to my left youll see a a Little Grassy knoll there and beyond that theres dozens of people who have gathered, some whom new george floyd well and who are here to speak their peace. We do know that the family will be speaking within an hour after the verdict is ruled. We also know that we heard from Philonise Floyd just before he went into court. He said he was pacing, that he has been patient, but hes pacing right before he went in. He said, look, i am hoping that this verdict helps me finally get some sleep because since may 25th, 2020 he hasnt really been able to sleep well at night. Thats been extremely difficult for this family. Its been extremely difficult for this community. Whether youre a resident here, a business opener here, theres been a lot of emotional folks around, and those emotions are at their height at this moment. There are folks already in tears and folks wores about what this jury will do and you have another case a couple of miles from here where another unarmed black man was shot and killed by police in Brooklyn Center so the begin apgs of that makes for a very, very tense scene. The media, of course, is here from around the world. This building is the star tribune here which is the newspaper here, and its boarded up as well as well as almost every single other building downtown here, and and around other parts of the city as well, including near George Floyd Square where dozens of people have already gathered there, too. Wolf . Well stay in close touch with you. I want to bring in omar jimenez. Hes also on the scene for us. Omar, tell us where you are and what youre seeing. Reporter right now, wolf, we are at George Floyd Square. This is ground zero for where George Floyds final moment of his life. Hold on. Omar. This is the the judge, the pen pin county judge pete cahill. All rights for the jury. Please be seated. Members of the jury, i understand you have a verdict. Members of the jury, i will now read the verdicts as they will appear on the permanent records of the fourth judicial district. State of minnesota, county of hennepin, district court, fourth judicial district, state of minnesota playoff versus Derek Michael church defendant. Verdict count one. The court file 27 cr2012646. We, the jury in the above entitled manner as to count one unintentional seconddegree murder while committing a felony find the defendant guilty. This verdict agreed to this 20th day of april, 20201 at 1 44 p. M. Signed juror foreperson, juror number 19. Same caption verdict count two. We the jury in the above entitled matter argues to count two, thirddegree murder find the defendant guilty. This verdict agreed to this 20th day of april, 2021 at 1 45 p. M. Signed by the jury foreperson, juror number 19. Same caption, verdict count three. We the jury in the above entitled manner as to count three, seconddegree manslaughter, culpable negligence creating an unreasonable risk find the defendant guilty. This verdict agreed to this 20th day of april, 1 45 p. M. , members of the jury, im now going to can you individually if these are your true and correct verdicts. Your number two, are these your correct verdict . Yes. Jim number fine . Yes. Your number 19, are these your true and correct verdicts . Yes. Your number 27, are these your true and correct verdicts . Yes. Juror number 44, are these your true and correct verdicts . Yes. Juror number 52, are these your true and correct verdicts . Yes. Juror number 55, are these your true and correct verdicts . Yes. Juror number 79, are these your true amend correct verdicts . Yes. Juror number 85, are these your true and correct verdicts . Yes. Juror number 89, is this are these your true and correct verdicts . Yes. Juror number 91, are these your true and correct verdicts . Yes. Juror number 92, are these your true and correct verdicts . Yes. So say you one and so say you all. Yes. Members of the jury, i find that the verdicts as read reflect the will of the jury and will be filed accordingly. I have to thank you on behalf of the people of the state of minnesota for not only jury service but heavy duty jury service. What im going to ask you to do now is to follow the deputy back into your usual room and ill join you in a few minutes to answer questions and to advise you further, so all rise for the jury. Be seated. With the guilty verdicts returned, were going to have blakely, you may file a written argument as to blakely factors within one week. The court will issue findings on the blakely factors, the factual findings one week after that. Well order a psi immediately returnable in four weeks, and we will also have briefing on after you get the psi six weeks from now and then eight weeks from now we will have sentencing. Well get you the exact dates in a scheduling order. Is there a motion on behalf of the state . Your honor, the state would move to have the court revoke the defendants bail and remand him into custody. The bail is revoked, bond is discharged and the defendant is remanded to the custody of the Hennepin County sheriff. Anything further . Thank you. Were adjourned. So there you have it, less than ten minutes, guilty on all three counts. Guilty seconddegree murder, guilty thirddegree murder and guilty manslaughter. You saw the former Police OfficerDerek Chauvin handcuffed. Hes going back into jail. He was out of jail on bail awaiting these verdicts. Guilty on all three counts. Lets get Immediate Reaction from don lemon. Don, youre watching this as closely as anyone. Justice has been served, and you can see the reaction from the crowd, how america feels, and im sure people who are watching all over this country, or watching all over the world on their devices getting messages from people as i am saying thank you, jesus. Thank god, finally, finally justice on all counts. The attorney for the crump family has reached out and given me a statement, wolf, and he says guilty. Painfully earned justice has finally arrived for George Floyds family. This verdict is a turning point in history and sends a clear message on the need for accountability of Law Enforcement. Justice for black america is justice for all america. We think minnesota a. J. Keith ellison and our team along with our legal team for fierce dedication to justice for george, but it does not end here. We still have work to do. We have to make the George Floyd Justice in policing act become law so we can hold Law Enforcement accountable and prevent so many of these unjustified killings of marginalized people of color. This reminds me in some ways, and its not specific, but it reminds me of the tension and the passion and the angst that was felt during the reading of o. J. Simpson, people on the street hugging each other. Other people were just beside themselves, but remanded into custody, the verdict spoke for itself, and if that didnt speak for itself, wolf, a Police Officer who had been on the job for years, a training officer, handcuffed and led away and the next place for him, the next home for him will be prison. You know, don, this is a powerful moment in American History that were watching unfold right now. Anderson, guilty on all three counts, seconddegree murder, potentially up to 40 years. We dont know if hell get that, thirddegree murder, 30 years maximum second and manslaughter, maximum sentence 10 years, but dont know if hell get all that but hes going to jail for a very long time. For viewers watching on the lefthand side of the screen in the lower corner, thats the location where george floyd was murdered. That is where Derek Chauvin murdered george floyd. Thats where were seeing George Floyds girlfriend. Van jones, your reaction to this verdict. One down and many, many more to go. But i think about that young girl who brought out her cell phone and stood there in horror not knowing what to do but just holding that phone steady. She did the right thing. All those Community Members who came and and begged and pleaded and talked. They did the right thing, that emt person did the right thing. People called the police, they did the right thing. When the police chief fired the man they did the right thing and when people marched by the millions they did the right thing and part of what i think the message has to be is that we have to get more involved. It started with that young girl. She got involved and then youve got a Community Stand up and you had a governor step in and take the case and give it to Keith Ellison to make sure that it was done the right way. This is the beginning of something. It is not the end of anything. This is the beginning of something. Where is congress . They need to act. Those chokeholds are still legal according to the federal government. That needs to change there. Hes no duty to intervene from the federal government. That needs to change. Theres no registry for cops like chauvin. That needs to change. Now when you have somebody like representative karen bass and tim scott fighting, we need to get behind them. This should never happen again. One down, many more to go. Sometimes when we fight we lose, but sometimes when we fight we win. The people won. When you saw Derek Chauvin putting his hands behind his back being handcuffed and led out of the court, what did you think . Justice. Justice. Ive seen so many kids who have done so much less than him walk out of courtrooms in handcuffs, with much less evidence. Ive seen kids do 20 years, 30 years on snitch evidence, just one kid testifying against another kid and go to prison. You dont have tv cameras and body cameras and cell phones. So many young people from that community sitting in prison and cops getting away with murder over and over again. Thats what justice looks like. When people all we want is the police to obey the law. Were not asking for anything but that, for the police to obey the law, and when they break the law they should have handcuffs just like anybody else. We dont want them to be below us or beneath us, they should obey the law. That is what justice looks like. Do you worry some people are going to see this and say okay, thats good. Its done. Its over. It took too long. It took too long. It took too much marching. It took too many tears and it was too close, and i dont care who you are. This morning you woke up afraid to hope. You were scared to hope. Even with all the evidence you saw you were scared to hope this morning. That tells you we need real change. Laura . You know. These bystanders we heard in the prosecutions closing. They bore witness to what was happening. They felt powerless. They felt guilt. They felt remorse that they could not do more and i remember that 18yearold who had the wherewithal and the fortitude to hold americas eyes to what was going on and said ive spent nights being guilt, apologizing to george floyd and then i realize its not what i should have done, its what you should have done talking to the officer who was standing there in that courtroom, and the idea here that here we are going from a feeling of powerless to having it handed over to the jury for them to now assign guilt to somebody who was not a part of the noble profession of Police Officers, that was acting under the color of law because he could and how dare anyone question my ability to keep my knee on the neck of a man for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. The this is a profound moment of justice, but its also one as van talks about i look ahead to what justice actually means in a definitive and holistic sense. This is but a start, but at least now i can answer my sons question when he says, mommy, what if that happened to me . I can at least show him what justice looked like today. I want to go to sara sidner. Explain where you are and what youre seeing. Sara sidner . Shes getting back into position. Well go back lets well go back to her very shortly. Laura, just in terms of what happens now, sentencing now is several weeks away. It is, and first what happens, as they said, youll have what is called the blakely factor, the aggravating factors. That means that the judge will now decide whether the idea that happening in front of the child we know as young as 9 years old, the idea of george floyd being particularly vulnerable in the position, the judge will assess those aggravating factors and the psi, the presentencing report essentially, and what that is to show the different they call them factors to say whats his remorse, whats his criminal history, if any. I suspect theres none. He was a Police Officer after all and the idea is what would a holistic Rehabilitation Plan look like . Remember, hes in the serving life in prison on any of these charges so hell one day return to society. What will that look like when he does . Laura coates talked about bearing witness and you a talked about it as well, the young woman who held the video camera up and all of us carry those cameras with us, but it really reminds so many people, reminds us all that we can bear witness in our own lives. Im not talking about videotaping things. Im talking about bearing witness to the struggles of others. Bearing witness to the pain, to the injustices that we see. That was one of the most beautiful things that happened. In january and february of 2020 if you had asked probably the average white person is Police Brutality a big deal, antiracism, some would have said yes and some would have said no. Because that have young woman and because of the video 20 million white americans marched according to like millions. I didnt say thousands. I said millions. There were black lives matter marches in idaho when they aint got no black people. That gives you a sense of how humanitys heart was touched, and so that shouldnt just happen in the streets when were marching. Theres so many opportunities to your point for us to do better. Listen, the empathy gap that were seeing throughout our politics can start to close had a little bit because dont forgot, its important for the young people to understand this. The police chief fired the guy and testified against him. There were people throughout the profession of Law Enforcement who came forward and did the right thing for once and all those people still have jobs and church is in jail so more cops can speak up. More Police Chiefs can speak up and more people can do the right thing in these situations. I want to go to don lemon. Don . Anderson, thanks. You know, van, youre absolutely right and so is laura. Laura, we spoke earlier today, and we talked about the people who were standing there on the side of the street and filming this, and, yes, they did feel helpless in the moment, but they didnt know their power then, but they certainly know their power now. But i just want to add to, you know, when van said that theres a lot more to be done. What there needs to be done, Police Officers around the country, Police Officers around the country are going to have to do things. They are going to have to hold their fellow officers accountable. There are other officers who were involved in this particular incident, and in that moment they did not it doesnt seem that they held their fellow officers accountable, and with the Army Lieutenant in virginia, no one held that officer accountable as he was spraying the other officer and treating him in a way that was just demoralizing and disrespectful, so its yes, its incumbent upon the citizens to hold these Police Officers accountable, but its going to be incumbent upon the organization and the fellow officers who are there every day with those officers who are not doing the right thing to hold them accountable. Go ahead. I just want to you were talking in officers. I want to bring in chief ramsey into our conversation. Yeah. Your perspective now when yo