No Curfew Planned in Brooklyn Center Ahead of Potter Trial Verdict
Before the trial began, the Brooklyn Center City Council voted 3-2 against allowing the city manager to impose an emergency curfew after a verdict is reached.
The majority of the council voted against the curfew measure believing it would send the wrong message to automatically assume civil unrest would occur. A city curfew could still be declared by the mayor or with a unanimous vote by the council.
Mayor Mike Elliott said in a statement to CCX News on Tuesday that “the right to assemble is foundational to American democracy.”
Jurors in the trial continued to deliberate on Tuesday from 9 a.m. with a scheduled daily end time of 6 p.m. As of late Tuesday afternoon, no verdict had been reached. Jurors received the case on Monday at precisely 12:45 p.m.
The mayor’s full statement is as follows:
The right to assemble is foundational to American democracy. In fact, First Amendment to the United States Constitution states “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress [of grievances].” We have an obligation to protect the rights of people to assemble and to protest.”
