Derek Chauvin's sentencing set for June 16
The sentencing date for Derek Chauvin has been set for June 16, following the former Minneapolis police officer's conviction on three counts in the murder of George Floyd. The sentencing will happen at 1:30 p.m. that day, CBS Minnesota reports.
The former Minneapolis police officer was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin will stay locked up until his sentencing date.
Chauvin faces decades in prison, but he could serve far less than the maximum sentence for each charge under Minnesota sentencing guidelines, CBS News' Erin Donaghue reports.
In Minnesota, second-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Third-degree murder is punishable by up to 25 years in prison. Second-degree manslaughter is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. But sentencing guidelines recommend less time for offenders with no criminal history, and also recommend they serve their sentences on multiple convictions concurrently. That means Chauvin would effectively only serve the sentence on the highest count.
For someone with no criminal history such as Chauvin, the suggested sentencing range for unintentional second-degree murder and third degree murder is the same — from just over 10 and a half years to 15 years in prison. The recommended median sentence is 12 and a half years — the same sentence handed down in 2019 to Mohamed Noor, a former Minneapolis police officer convicted of third-degree murder for firing a shot from inside his squad car and killing a woman who had called 911.
The judge could choose to sentence based solely on those guidelines. But prosecutors have said they intend to introduce a series of "aggravating factors" that could add additional time to Chauvin's sentence. They include committing a crime in front of a child — the youngest bystander who witnessed Floyd's fatal arrest was 9 years old — and using police authority to commit a crime.
Prosecutors have also said Floyd was particularly vulnerable, because he was handcuffed behind his back, that Chauvin acted with particular cruelty when he ignored Floyd's pleas, and that Chauvin acted as a part of a group.
"As long as the judge finds the aggravating factors exist — such as the crime being committed in front of kids, or in particular cruelty — then the judge can go from the 12 and a half year guideline all the way up to 40 years," said attorney Joe Tamburino.