For weeks, he was known only as Juror 52—but now Brandon Mitchell has become the first juror in the Derek Chauvin case to speak out. The 31-year-old basketball coach told CNN that there was an oppressive atmosphere in the courtroom every day up until Chauvin was convicted on all charges in the murder of George Floyd. “It was just dark. It felt like every day was a funeral and watching someone die every day,” Mitchell said. “It was tense every day. I wasn’t nervous, but it was stressful. It was a lot of pressure.” Mitchell commented that Chauvin appeared confident in the early days of the trial, but he seemed to shrink as time went on. “His demeanor kind of changed to more of a confused look as this isn’t how it’s supposed to go... I didn’t see any remorse,” said the juror. Mitchell, who is Black, said he was relieved by the verdict, adding: “We haven’t seen an outcome like this on a case. I really think this is a start and I think it’s a good start.”
