A third-degree murder charge for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin might wind up a "close case," according to legal expert Alan Dershowitz on Newsmax TV.
"It may not meet the elements of third-degree murder, but I think it was important to use the word 'murder,' because I think that helped the crowd," Dershowitz told "Saturday Report." "But whether it will hold up as a matter of law, I don't know. If there were a case not dominated by crowd justice, I don't know whether he would be charged with third-degree murder or only manslaughter.
"Generally, policemen who overreact in situations like this are charged with manslaughter, whether the victim is white or black."
Running the risk over "overcharging" might ultimately lead to a failed case – potentially causing more violent civil unrest.
"The one thing you don't want in a case like this for there to be overchanging that ultimately results in acquittal," Dershowitz added to host Grant Stinchfield. "That has happened in a number of cases."
Dershowitz also lamented the chief legal authority in the state of Minnesota is a racially and religiously charged Attorney General Keith Ellison.
"You couldn't have a worse person at attorney general of Minnesota: It's Keith Ellison, the man who has worked very closely with the Rev. Louis Farrakhan, who has advocated violence and has advocated and racism," Dershowitz said.
"And to have that man, at this time, in the highest law enforcement position in Minnesota really does prompt the kind of justice, neutral objective justice, not based on race, that we're all entitled to in America and all want to see.
"We want to see one standard for all."
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Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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