Derek Chauvin Gave Questionable Brief Statement Before Sentencing For Murder Of George Floyd
Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison – 270 months – on Friday for the murder of George Floyd by Judge Peter Cahill.
Chauvin said in a brief statement, “There’s going to be some other information in the future that would be of interest..”
Derek Chauvin says in brief statement before sentencing: "I do want to give my condolences to the Floyd family. There's going to be some other information in the future that would be of interest, and I hope things will give you some peace of mind." https://t.co/1pe5DBkZ8g pic.twitter.com/bhiAlHYoML
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 25, 2021
After being convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s killing in April, Chauvin was faced up to 40 years in prison. Since his conviction, the former cop has been kept in solitary confinement at a state jail.
Chauvin should have faced 11 to 12 years in prison under normal circumstances, according to state sentencing standards for someone with no criminal history, according to The Washington Post.
Judge Cahill, on the other hand, decided last month that “prosecutors had proven there were aggravating factors in the case that, “prosecutors had proven there were aggravating factors in the case that called for a tougher sentence.”
The prosecution sought a sentence of 30 years in prison for Chauvin, while his lawyer, Eric Nelson, proposed that his client should be put on probation and time served.
“Mr. Chauvin is not the average offender. Prior to this incident, Mr. Chauvin led a hard-working, law-abiding life and has experienced no legal issues until the point of his arrest.” Nelson said.
“Mr. Chauvin was unaware he was even committing a crime. In fact, in his mind, he was simply performing his lawful duty assisting other officers in the arrest of George Floyd.” Nelson added.
Nelson initially requested a new trial on May 4, but Judge Cahill denied his request one day before his sentence.
According to The Daily Wire, Nelson claimed that the court “violated Chauvin’s right to due process and fair trial when the court decided against sequestering the jury and granting a venue change.”
“The Court abused its discretion when it failed to sequester the jury for the duration of the trial, or in the least, admonish them to avoid all media, which resulted in jury exposure to prejudicial publicity regarding the trial during the proceedings, as well as jury intimidation and potential fear of retribution among jurors, which violated Mr. Chauvin’s constitutional rights to due process and to a fair trial,” the filing reads.
“Nelson also argued that the court violated Chauvin’s rights by not ordering Morries Hall — the man in the car with Floyd before his death — to testify at the trial or to submit into evidence ‘his statements to law enforcement regarding his’ interaction with Floyd. According to The New York Times, Hall invoked the Fifth Amendment during the trial after his lawyer argued that Hall’s testimony could expose him to drug-related charges,” The Daily Wire cited.
During the trial, Nelson stated that Floyd’s drug usage and heart condition were key factors in his death, and that Chauvin used justifiable force by putting him in a prone position. Floyd’s autopsy indicated that he had potentially deadly amounts of narcotics in his system, according to the Hennepin County medical examiner.
Derek Chauvin sentenced to 22.5 years in the murder of George Floyd.
"This is based on your abuse of a position of trust and authority and also the particularly cruelty shown to George Floyd," the judge says.https://t.co/AeNM5H2wVT pic.twitter.com/5PhKnLZ1ee
— ABC News (@ABC) June 25, 2021
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