Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin to be Sentenced for the Murder of George Floyd

Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin is set to be sentenced for the murder of George Floyd this afternoon. The sentencing is expected to start at 1:30 p.m. central time and last anywhere between 45 minutes and an hour and a half. Chauvin was convicted in April of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. According to a sentencing memo,  prosecutors for the state requested a 30 year prison sentence saying it would “properly account for the profound impact of the defendant’s conduct on the victim, the victim’s family, and the community.” Chauvin’s defense attorney Eric Nelson argued that Chauvin should receive probation and time served instead or at least a sentence less than what the law guides.

In a statement, Nelson wrote “Mr. Chauvin asks the court to look beyond its findings, to his background, his lack of criminal history, his amenability to probation, to the unusual facts of this case, and to his being a product of a ‘broken’ system.” Three other officers who were assisting with the call, have pleaded not guilty to their charged of aiding and abetting and their trial is currently scheduled for March of next year.