Lambda Legal Demands More Work Be Done in Wake of Chauvin Verdict

Today, after nearly a month of former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin's murder trial in the death of George Floyd, the jury reached a guilty verdict on all counts. Lambda Legal released the following statement from CEO Kevin Jennings:

"We are pleased that justice was served today, and Derek Chauvin will be held responsible for the death of George Floyd. We know, however, that there is more work to do to ensure what we all watched happen on video to George Floyd never happens again. We celebrate this bittersweet victory while knowing that George Floyd’s family will never get him back and knowing that other families are still awaiting justice.

“We know that one verdict does not reverse this truth: we live in a nation where people of color —even 12-year-old children like Tamir Rice — are routinely killed with impunity by those who are supposed to protect them. Today’s verdict is but a tiny step towards holding the individuals and system responsible for this accountable.

"We mourn George Floyd, Daunte Wright, Adam Toledo, and every victim of police violence. We recommit to continuing to work for racial justice and fairer laws. Lambda Legal has a long history of standing up against misconduct by police and other government officials. We will continue to work with our sibling LGBTQ organizations and other civil rights organizations to fight to make sure that police are properly protecting and serving all the public, including LGBTQ people and people living with HIV."