If Minnesota officer had been white, would he have been convicted?

Last week, lawyers for convicted Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor filed for an acquittal, stating that the evidence in his case did not prove third-degree murder or second-degree manslaughter — counts the officer was found guilty of in the July 2017 shooting death of Justine Damond.

Noor is a Somali American. Damond was white. Some have suggested that race played no role in the jury verdict. 

Race, however, is always a factor in the criminal justice system. It plays a role in who is arrested, who is prosecuted, who is offered favorable plea bargains and who is convicted.

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