The loneliest lawyer in America

Eric Nelson is representing one of the most hated men in the country.

The Derek Chauvin trial starts in Minneapolis today, and most of us - no matter where we stand on issues of racism and criminal justice - are praying that we don’t have a repeat of 2020.

As a lawyer I should be hoping for a fair trial in which the truth comes out and justice is done. In practice, I’ll come right out and admit that I am hoping and praying for a murder conviction. Not only because I think Chauvin deserves punishment for the killing of George Floyd - whether or not racism was at its root - but because we’re still recovering from what happened in 1968 v. 2.0.

The jury members - a racially mixed group - have all pledged to base their decision on the law and the facts of the case. But I suspect they will keep in the back of their minds what might happen to them if they vote to acquit, especially in an age where your name can become a Twitter hashtag very quickly.

In a way, my worst nightmare is actually a situation where Chauvin is correctly acquitted. If he is convicted w…