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A28 u.s. news
Diasabra 26 Juni 2021

Derek Chauvin faces sentencing in George Floyd's death

gued that the intense public- America faced something of
ity tainted the jury pool and a rarity: In the small number
that the trial should have of instances in which officers
been moved away from Min- accused of brutality or other
neapolis. misconduct against Black
people have gone to trial, the
The judge also rejected a de- list of acquittals and mistrials
fense request for a hearing is longer than the list of sen-
into possible juror miscon- tencings after conviction.
duct. Nelson had accused
a juror of not being candid In recent years, the acquittals
during jury selection because have included officers tried
he didn’t mention his partici- in the deaths of Philando
pation in a march last sum- Castile in suburban Minne-
mer to honor the Rev. Martin apolis and Terence Crutcher
Luther King Jr. Prosecutors in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Two
countered the juror had been mistrials were declared over
open about his views. the death of Samuel Dubose
in Cincinnati.
Ben Crump, an attorney for
the family, said relatives were “That’s why the world has
“anxious and tense” ahead watched this trial, because
of the proceedings. “To us, it is a rare occurrence,” said
George Floyd is a cause. He’s Arizona-based civil rights at-
a case. He’s a hashtag. To torney Benjamin Taylor, who
them -- that’s their flesh and has represented victims of
blood. You know, that that’s police brutality. “Everybody
their brother,” Crump said. knows that this doesn’t hap-
pen every day.”
(AP) — George Floyd ’s This is 9½ minutes of cruelty It was unclear whether
family spoke in court Fri- to a man who was helpless Chauvin was convicted of Chauvin would break his Several people interviewed
day of the pain they felt and just begging for his life,” second-degree uninten- long silence and speak at his in Minneapolis before
over his murder and asked Frank said. tional murder, third-degree sentencing. Some experts Chauvin’s sentencing said
for the maximum pun- murder and second-degree expressed doubt he would they wanted to see a tough
ishment for former Of- Chauvin’s mother, Carolyn manslaughter for press- say anything because of the sentence.
ficer Derek Chauvin as Pawlenty, took the stand to ing his knee against Floyd’s risk his words could be used
Chauvin faced sentencing plead for mercy for son, say- neck for up to 9 1/2 min- against him in the federal Thirty years “doesn’t seem
for the crime that set off a ing his reputation has been utes as the 46-year-old Black case. No date for that trial has like long enough to me,” said
fierce reckoning over ra- unfairly reduced to that of man gasped that he couldn’t been set. Andrew Harer, a retail work-
cial injustice in America. “an aggressive, heartless and breathe and went limp. er who is white. “I would be
uncaring person” and a racist. But Brandt said Chauvin fine if he was in jail for the
“We don’t want to see no Bystander video of Floyd’s could say a few words with- rest of his life.”
more slaps on the wrist. “I can tell you that is far from arrest on suspicion of passing out getting into legal trouble.
We’ve been through that al- the truth,” she told the judge. a counterfeit $20 bill at a cor- “I think it’s his chance to tell Joseph Allen, 31, who is
ready,” said a tearful Terrence “I want this court to know ner store prompted protests the world, ‘I didn’t intend to Black, said he would like to
Floyd, one of Floyd’s broth- that none of these things are around the world and led to kill him,’” the attorney said. see Chauvin get a life sen-
ers. true and that my son is a good scattered violence in Minne- “If I was him, I think I would tence, adding that he hopes
man.” She added: “Derek, I apolis and beyond. want to try and let people other police officers learn
Floyd’s nephew Brandon want you to know I have al- know that I’m not a mon- “not to do what Derek
Williams said: “Our fam- ways believed in your inno- Minnesota sentencing guide- ster.” Chauvin did.”
ily is forever broken.” And cence, and I will never waver line s called for 12 1/2 years,
Floyd’s 7-year-old daughter, from that.” but Judge Peter Cahill agreed Chauvin did not testify at As for whether she would
Gianna, in a video played in with prosecutors ahead of his trial. The only explana- like to hear Chauvin speak,
court, said that if she could “I will be here for you when Friday’s proceedings that tion the public heard from Levy Armstrong said: “For
say something to her father you come home,” she said. there were aggravating cir- him came from body-camera me as a Black woman living
now, it would be: “I miss you cumstances that could jus- footage in which he told a by- in this community, there’s re-
and and I love you.” The concrete barricades, ra- tify a heavier punishment — stander at the scene: “We got ally nothing that he could say
zor wire and National Guard among them, that Chauvin to control this guy ’cause he’s that would alleviate the pain
Chauvin, 45, faced a poten- patrols at the courthouse treated Floyd with particular a sizable guy ... and it looks and trauma that he caused.
tial decadeslong sentence, during Chauvin’s three-week cruelty, abused his position like he’s probably on some- ... I think that if he spoke it
with some legal experts pre- trial in the spring were gone of authority as a police officer thing.” would be disingenuous and
dicting 20 to 25 years. He is Friday, reflecting an easing and did it in front of children. could cause more trauma.”
also awaiting trial on federal of tensions since the verdict Philip Stinson, a criminal
civil rights charges in Floyd’s in April. Still, there was rec- The defense requested pro- justice professor at Bowling Chauvin has been held since
death, along with three other ognition that the sentencing bation, saying Chauvin was Green State University, said his conviction at the state’s
fired officers who have yet to was another major step for- the product of a “broken” 11 non-federal law officers, maximum-security prison
have their state trials. ward for Minneapolis since system and “believed he was including Chauvin, have in Oak Park Heights, where
Floyd died on May 25, 2020. doing his job.” been convicted of murder for he has been kept in a cell by
Prosecutor Matthew Frank on-duty deaths since 2005. himself for his own protec-
asked the judge to exceed “Between the incident, the With good behavior, Chauvin The penalties for the nine tion, his meals brought to
sentencing guidelines and video, the riots, the trial — could get out on parole after who were sentenced before him.
give Chauvin 30 years in this is the pinnacle of it,” serving about two-thirds of Chauvin ranged from from
prison, saying “tortured is the said Mike Brandt, a local de- his sentence. six years, nine months, to life The three other officers are
right word” for what the of- fense attorney who closely behind bars, with the median scheduled for trial in March
ficer did to Floyd. followed the case. “The ver- Before the sentencing, the being 15 years. on state charges of aiding and
dict was huge too, but this judge denied Chauvin’s re- abetting both murder and
“This is not a momentary is where the justice comes quest for a new trial. Defense With Chauvin’s sentencing, manslaughter.
gunshot, punch to the face. down.” attorney Eric Nelson had ar- the Floyd family and Black