Home » Floyd case: the jury convicts former policeman Derek Chauvin for murder

Floyd case: the jury convicts former policeman Derek Chauvin for murder

by admin

Guilty. The Minneapolis court jury granted a guilty verdict for former police officer Derek Chauvin, for all three homicide crimes he was charged with in the George Floyd case.

The Minneapolis courthouse jury unanimously found Chauvin responsible for killing 46-year-old African American Floyd last May. A decision awaited by a country in great anxiety, in a story-symbol of racial tensions and controversy over the behavior of the police towards the black community. Jurors, lawyers and the accused returned to court in the afternoon in view of the reading of the verdict. A quick decision, less than two days of deliberations, which had foreshadowed a guilty decision. Immediately after the quick reading of the verdict, crime by crime, the judge thanked the jurors and dismissed them. The penalty will be announced later

Loading…

The three offenses

More specifically, the jury (seven women and five men; six white, four black, two who identify as multiracial) had to comment on three murder crimes, of varying severity, against Chauvin. Jurors could decide guilt or innocence on each of the offenses, which are not mutually exclusive. The crimes considered were unintentional second degree murder, which required Chauvin to have killed Floyd in committing another serious crime, in this case of assault. The third degree murder provided that Chauvin had acted with “very dangerous” actions and in contempt of the risks to the life of others. The third charge, second degree manslaughter, was in fact for irresponsible negligence. They involve a maximum of 40, 25 and 10 years in prison respectively and theoretically, but the guidelines for the sentence could reduce any sum to a penalty of perhaps 27 years. The jurors had begun to meet for four hours on Monday evening, after the final pleadings of the indictment and defense, and had resumed at 8 am on Tuesday local time to announce that they had reached a decision at about 3 pm. The verdict must be unanimous.

See also  Usa, the show arrest of Jack Teixera: the alleged mole of the "Pentagon leaks" taken out of the house in shorts and t-shirt - Video

Biden, “overwhelming” evidence

President Joe Biden, in the sign of the difficult time the country has gone through, had already decided on the eve to address the nation immediately after the jury’s decision. In the last few hours, with the jury now isolated for deliberations, he called Floyd’s family to express his closeness and said to “pray that the verdict is a fair verdict.” In an unusual and explicit stance he indicated that he regarded the evidence of guilt in the case as “overwhelming”. Statements that reveal the political significance of the verdict, which brought to light the divisions of the country: complaints of unresolved racism and police violence on the one hand; accusations of excessive criticism and willingness to cut the necessary funds for law enforcement on the other. Republicans have attacked the words in recent days by Democratic MP Maxine Waters who seemed to invite further protests in the event of an acquittal of Chauvin.

The state of emergency

In the climate of high tension, the national guard has been mobilized for days in Minneapolis, at least three thousand soldiers in all. And Democratic Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz has declared a preventive state of emergency authorizing, if necessary, the help of law enforcement from neighboring states. In Minneapolis, many businesses have closed and barricaded their entrances. Schools have activated remote lessons. Other American cities, from Philadelphia to Washington and New York, have taken emergency measures.

You may also like

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More

Privacy & Cookies Policy