The defense wanted to bring up two arrests of Floyd, including one in Harris County, Texas in 2007 that resulted in a conviction for aggravated robbery. Cahill allowed only a portion of Floyd s 2019 drug-related arrest in Minneapolis.
It s common for judges to make such rulings on what evidence can be introduced in a trial. The court wants to ensure the jury doesn t punish a defendant for prior bad acts, as they re called. Jurors must evaluate whether Chauvin is guilty of what he is charged with: third- and second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
In criminal prosecutions, wrongful acts generally aren t admissible unless prosecutors can demonstrate that they implicate the defendant, the incidents are important to the case, and they won t unfairly prejudice the jury against the defendant.