Police officer Derek Chauvin who was tangled up with the death of George Floyd more than two years ago has recently pleaded guilty to murdering the Black man as part of a new agreement and awaits his sentencing.
The former Minneapolis officer pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday to civil rights charges. Additionally, Chauvin pleaded guilty in a separate federal case where he is believed to have deprived the rights of a 14-year-old in Minneapolis in 2017. At the time, the officer allegedly knelt on the back and neck of the victim who was handcuffed and not resisting.
Chauvin's Guilty Plea
Chauvin faces a sentence of between 20 and 25 years in prison as part of the new plea agreement. Prosecutors requested the full 25-year sentence to be served concurrently with his current 22 and a half-year sentence on state murder charges.
In a statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland revealed that Chauvin pleaded guilty to two federal civil rights violations. One of which resulted in the death of Floyd, and Garland said that while there was no way to repair the harm that the former officer caused, the Justice Department was committed to holding criminals accountable for their actions, CNN reported.
The former Minneapolis officer admitted in his plea that he willfully deprived Floyd of his right to be free from unreasonable seizure, including unreasonable force by a police officer. The second federal count in the case of Floyd's death was dismissed, but Chauvin pleaded guilty to a separate count in an unrelated case from 2017.
Chauvin wore an orange short-sleeve prison shirt when he appeared for the change of plea hearing and was later escorted into and out of the court in handcuffs. During the hearing, he said, "Guilty, your honor" when confirming his plea and acknowledging the crimes that he was accused of committing.
Prison Sentence
Prior to the guilty plea, Chauvin potentially faced life in prison over the federal count, which gives him more reason to accept the agreement. While prosecutors were seeking to charge the former Minneapolis officer the maximum 25 years in prison, U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson will be responsible for the final sentencing, Yahoo News reported.
During Chauvin's plea hearing, Judge Magnuson asked the former police officer if he understood that this was the "end of it" and that he would have no opportunity to file an appeal. The suspect said he understood and waived his right to a trial in the federal case.
The former Minneapolis police officer's plea deal includes him not being allowed to work in law enforcement ever again. He will also have to pay restitution while the amount that he needs to hand out has not been determined yet. On Wednesday, Judge Magnuson held Chauvin without bond and said he would wait for a pre-sentencing report before delivering the defendant's sentence.
The other three former police officers involved in the case are Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao. The three men could benefit from Chauvin's guilty plea as they were denied their request to separate their trials from him because they argued that his presence would hurt them before a jury, Fox News reported.
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