CNN celebrates Derek Chauvin guilty verdict: 'Justice has been served'

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Minnesota governor speaks after conviction of Derek Chauvin

CNN hosts and commentators quickly embraced the guilty verdict against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted Tuesday of murder and manslaughter charges in the death of George Floyd. 

"Justice has been served," CNN anchor Don Lemon reacted. "And you can see the reaction from the crowd how America feels, and I'm sure people who are watching all over this country or watching all over the world are on their devices getting messages from people, as I am saying: 'Thank you, Jesus,' 'Thank God,' 'Finally, justice on all counts.'"

"A police officer, who had been on the job for years ... handcuffed and led away. And the next home for him will be prison," Lemon added. 

"The Situation Room" anchor Wolf Blitzer declared the verdict a "powerful moment in American history."

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Commentator Van Jones kicked off the panel discussion by saying: "One down, many, many more to go."

Jones praised the young woman who filmed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck, as well as other trial witnesses, for "doing the right thing" and called on Congress to take action by banning chokeholds and establishing a national police registry for cops like Chauvin. 

"All we want is for the police to obey the law," Jones said. "We don't want them to be below us or beneath us. They should obey the law. That's what justice looks like."

CNN senior legal analyst Laura Coates offered a similar emotional response, saying, "At least now I can answer my son's question when he asks, 'Mommy, what if that happened to me?' I can at least show him what justice looked like today." 

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CNN law enforcement analyst Charles Ramsey, a former D.C. police chief, agreed with the verdict and told the panel that President Biden is making a "mistake" by not taking the lead on police reform while the Chauvin verdict is dominating the national conversation. 

Chauvin was found guilty of second and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison for the second-degree murder charge.