Poll Finds 63% Of US Adults Believe Acquittal In Floyd Trial Would Hurt Race Relations

Nearly two-thirds of US adults fear that a not guilty verdict in the trial of white police officer Derek Chauvin the death of African-American suspect George Floyd would harm race relations in the United States, according to a Monmouth University poll on Thursday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th April, 2021) Nearly two-thirds of US adults fear that a not guilty verdict in the trial of white police officer Derek Chauvin the death of African-American suspect George Floyd would harm race relations in the United States, according to a Monmouth University poll on Thursday.

"If Chauvin is found guilty of murder, 37% feel this will be a positive step for race relations in the country while 12% say it will be a negative step," a press release explaining the poll said. "If he is found innocent of the charges, though, a clear majority (63%) say this will be negative for race relations."

The poll revealed a big gap in the views of white Americans based on political affiliation, with just 13 percent of Republicans and independent voters who lean Republicans believing that a guilty verdict would be a positive outcome for race relations, the release said.

In contrast, 56 percent of white Democrats and so-called wholly independent voters believe race relations would improve if the officer is found guilty, the release added.

Most of the country has been following the trial of Chauvin, the former US city of Minneapolis police officer charged with the murder of Floyd during an arrest last May. More than six in 10 (63 percent) have heard a lot about the trial and 31 percent have heard some, while just six percent have heard nothing at all, according to the release.

The poll was conducted between April 8 and April 12, 2021, by telephone among 800 adults in the United States and bears a 3.5 percent margin of error.