Few options seen for Chauvin appeal

One potential vulnerability stems from the imposing number and stature of witnesses Judge Peter Cahill permitted prosecutors to call, including Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo. While Arradondo’s testimony was expected to focus on the police force’s training and policies, the chief also twice told jurors that Chauvin’s actions violated the department’s “values.”... Some experts said the judge probably shouldn’t have allowed the chief to opine so broadly. “He gratuitously added that this doesn’t adhere to our standards or our values,” said Geoffrey Alpert, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of South Carolina. “He probably shouldn’t have said that.”