ONE OF the jurors in the murder trial of disgraced former policeman Derek Chauvin has cited the testimony of Irish doctor Dr Martin Tobin as being crucial in swaying the jury towards a guilty verdict.
Chauvin is facing up to 75 years in prison after being found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter of George Floyd.
The jury heard from 45 different eyewitnesses and experts during the trial, yet few were as compelling as Dr Tobin, a Kilkenny-born pulmonologist and breath specialist based in the US who previously studied at University College Dublin.
According to Brandon Mitchell, who served as juror number 52 during the trial, the case was “done” once they had heard Dr Tobin’s testimony.
"I think Dr. Tobin was the biggest, the most influential witness out of everybody," Mitchell told CBS This Morning.
"When Dr. Tobin came, with him speaking so scientifically but also making it understandable for everyone along with the exhibits that he came with, I thought he just broke it down in a manner that was easy for all the jurors to understand.
“And I didn't think there was any way for the defense to come back after that. I was like -- to me, the case was -- it was done at that point almost."
A juror from the #DerekChauvinTrial is breaking his silence with an inside look at what unfolded in the jury room.
Brandon Mitchell, juror #52, joins us to discuss the deliberation process and reaching a guilty verdict. pic.twitter.com/LNV0l4xNds— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) April 28, 2021
Mitchell’s views echoed those of Mary Moriarty from the Chicago Public Defender's office who described the Irish doctor as "probably the most effective witness" she had seen during her 30 years as a public defender.
The New York Times meanwhile described Dr Tobin's testimony as one of the "key moments" in the trial.
"The prosecution has maintained that Mr. Floyd died from drugs in his system or carbon monoxide poisoning or heart arrhythmia, Tobin was brought back as a rebuttal witness and quickly demolished each of those theories," they wrote.
