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Late-night hosts react to Chauvin guilty verdict. ‘Still a lot of work to be done’

Late-night television hosts addressed the conviction of Derek Chauvin during their Tuesday shows.

Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death last May of George Floyd, a Black man who died after Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes.

Here’s how Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert and James Corden reacted to the verdict during their shows Tuesday.

Jimmy Fallon

To open “The Tonight Show,” Fallon said “the courts did their job and justice was served.”

“And while this is a step in the right direction, there is still a lot of work to be done,” Fallon said. “Too often, justice isn’t served and the need for police reform remains. We all must continue to call out injustice until things change for the better.”

He was later joined by MSNBC host Joy Reid to further discuss the guilty verdict. Fallon said he was “just shaken the whole day.”

Jimmy Kimmel

Kimmel used part of his “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” monologue to say he is “grateful” for Chauvin being found guilty.

“In this case, the jury made the correct decision, a unanimous decision, which is a step in the right direction,” Kimmel said. ”I hope the verdict itself brings comfort to the family of George Floyd and all those who mourn his death.

“I’d also like to say, good luck in prison, Derek. You’ll need it. That’s right. I hope you’re there for a very long time.”

Stephen Colbert

On “The Late Show,” Colbert said it is hard to celebrate because Floyd is still dead.

“But there is a sense of relief that at least this one injustice was not compounded with indifference. It could easily have went the other way,” Colbert said. “No matter what you see on that tape, this nation does not have a great track record on this subject. But at least in this case, this man faces accountability. But justice is a far more difficult goal.

“America still has a problem with over-policing and systemic racism, but hopefully this is a step toward a future where police being held accountable for their actions isn’t headline material and a hope that accountability today isn’t a deterrent for tomorrow.”

James Corden

Corden said on “The Late Late Show” that Floyd being alive would be “real justice.”

“Real justice would be Black Americans not having to live in fear of being stopped by police and killed, and surely that is a verdict that we need to work towards, and that can be the verdict that one day we can celebrate,” he said.