In advance of the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial earlier this week, Professor Suja Thomas spoke to Slate about comments made by Rep. Maxine Waters in support of demonstrators protesting the killing of Daunte Wright. Waters urged protestors to stay on the streets and get more confrontational if Chauvin was acquitted, leading the judge in the case to warn that her statement could be grounds for an appeals court to overturn the verdict. 

Professor Suja Thomas, a renowned jury expert, said otherwise.

“The jury has already been instructed not to consider any information outside of the evidence that was presented at trial,” Thomas said. “Before the jury was selected they also heard opinions they need to disregard. The comment of Rep. Waters really should be no different. They were instructed to disregard such comments. I don’t think the comment could be used successfully to appeal a conviction absent some other evidence of actual influence on the jurors.”

Read the full article at slate.com.