Legal experts say acquittal of State Police Trooper North is a landmark decision
The trial of Connecticut State Police Trooper Brian North was a first.
The trial of Connecticut State Police Trooper Brian North was a first.
"This is the first time I believe any Connecticut State Trooper has been charged with any excessive force crime" says attorney Mark Arons, who represents the family of 19-year-old Mubarak Soulemane, the man who North fatally shot.
"If you can't get a conviction on some count on this case, then going forward I'm not sure what's possible in this state" adds Arons.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal also weighed in on the verdict.
"As a former prosecutor, I know personally how careful judges are to instruct juries that they have to follow the facts, not their personal sympathies or biases," said Sen. Blumenthal.
Max Rosenberg is an attorney, and also a probate judge.
He say he's not allowed to speak about any specific case, but he did speak about the law in general terms.
"It's very difficult to disassociate a human being from their experiences, their background, their personal preferences. Everything kind of comes into play and you're never exactly sure what's going to tip a jury in one direction or another," says Rosenberg.
Arons also says it's unlikely that the Soulemane family will appeal the verdict.
"If the appellate court were to throw out the conviction and say you have to go back and retry it, I'm just not sure they'd be up to that anyway," says Arons.
