The decision had not been scheduled ahead of time.

Two jurors were dismissed as a result, citing their belief that the city had signaled Chauvin's guilt with their payout. These jurors were both men. One of them was white.

Two more jurors acknowledged that they had learned of the payout, but both pinky-promised it would not impact their judgement in the case.

The latest seated jurors are a black man, a biracial woman, an unmarried white female nurse, and a retired elderly woman who volunteers to help underprivileged children.

I suspect the Minneapolis City Council deliberately timed this payout in order to influence the makeup of the jury.

Anyways, our judicial system is now much like our election system: operating on expectations of good faith and honesty between parties who view each other as existential threats.

Reminder that one of the OJ Simpson jurors is on record stating that their not-guilty verdict was payback for the decision in the Rodney King trial.