Judge Peter Cahill will decide the sentence after prosecutors asked for 30 years for the murder of George Floyd by Chauvin.
A judge will convict former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin on Friday of the murder of George Floyd last year.
- Chauvin, who is white, was holding his knee on Floyd’s neck, which was black, for over nine minutes on May 25, 2020. Floyd’s death was recorded by onlookers and widely shared, triggering a international protest movement against police brutality and racism.
- Chauvin, 45, was convicted of second degree murder and manslaughter in April.
- Judge Peter Cahill found four aggravated sentencing factors in the case, including that Chauvin treated Floyd with particular cruelty, abused a policeman’s power, killed him with the participation of three or more other people, and that the murder took place in front of minors.
- The charge carries a maximum of 40 years, although Minnesota’s sentencing guidelines recommend that Chauvin be sentenced to 12.5 years, given that he has no criminal record. Prosecutors asked for 30 years.
Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, had appealed for a new trial, citing prosecutorial misconduct and a tainted jury. Cahill rejected the request Thursday evening (PDF).
Here are the latest updates:
The Floyd family “anxious” before the testimony
Ben Crump, an attorney for Floyd’s family, told those close to The Associated Press they were “anxious and tense” before the conviction.
“For us, George Floyd is a cause. It’s an affair. It’s a hashtag. For them, it is their flesh and blood. You know, he’s their brother, ”Crump said.
It is still unclear whether Chauvin, who did not testify in his own trial, would take the opportunity to speak out during his conviction.
Chauvin is also awaiting judgment on federal civil rights charges in Floyd’s death, as well as three other dismissed officers who have yet to be tried in the state.
“Nothing typical” about Floyd’s death: lawyer
Floyd family attorney Ben Crump said there was “nothing typical about what Derek Chauvin did by torturing George Floyd to death” and he and the family “did not expect what a typical sentence “.
No time of sentencing will bring George Floyd back, but it can help us move closer to equal justice and accountability. America is ready for its racial calculation! We MUST seize this moment to keep moving towards a better future! pic.twitter.com/xmPrYbqb9J
– Ben Crump (@AvocatCrump) June 25, 2021
Crump and members of Floyd’s family have made numerous appearances at rallies – and funerals – of other blacks killed by police over the past year. They hope Chauvin’s sentence will set a precedent for killer cops, as will his conviction.
“It must be a sentence that sets a new precedent to hold police officers accountable for the unjustifiable murders of blacks in America,” Crump told the AP.
On Thursday, Judge Peter Cahill dismissed Chauvin’s request for a new trial, saying he had failed to demonstrate that he was deprived of his constitutional right to a fair trial.
Chauvin had alleged that the court had abused its discretion and that the state had committed prosecutorial misconduct, and had requested a Schwartz hearing to determine whether there had been any outside influence on the jury.
Cahill wrote that Chauvin had failed to establish a case of juror misconduct, or that a juror gave false testimony. He dismissed both motions for a new trial and Schwartz’s hearing.