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April 1, 2021
June 30, 2021
Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who was last week sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison for murdering George Floyd, is close to reaching a plea deal on the federal charges he faces that would require him to publicly discuss Floyd’s death for the first time, according to a WCCO report.
Citing multiple anonymous sources with knowledge of the talks, the Minnesota CBS News affiliate reported Chauvin has been discussing—and is close to finalizing—a plea deal with federal prosecutors regarding his federal civil rights charges.
Along with the three other officers allegedly involved in Floyd’s death, Chauvin was charged by a federal grand jury earlier this year with violating Floyd’s constitutional rights and denying him medical care during the May 2020 arrest.
The plea deal would help Chauvin avoid another trial and potentially spending the rest of his life in prison, according to WCOO, as it would arrange for the ex-cop to get 22 to 25 years which would be served at the same time as his state sentence.
Chauvin could also serve out his sentence in federal prison instead of a state-run facility, WCOO reported.
As part of the potential plea deal, Chauvin would be forced to break his silence on Floyd’s murder (he chose not to testify at trial), including “what he did to Floyd and why,” the outlet said.
The Department of Justice and representatives for both Chauvin and the Floyd family did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Forbes.
This plea deal could have been what Chauvin was referencing in the somewhat cryptic comments he made in court during his sentencing hearing on Friday. When given the opportunity to address the judge, Chauvin said he was not able to give a “formal statement” due to legal matters. However, “I give my condolences to the Floyd family. There’s going to be some other information in the future that will be of interest and I hope this will give you some peace of mind.”
Chauvin was sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison for murdering Floyd during an arrest over a counterfeit $20 bill in May 2020. This sentence was 10 years longer than what state sentencing guidelines recommended and was deemed “one of the longest any police officer in the United States has received in modern times for the death of a civilian” by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. Nonetheless, members of Floyd’s family have expressed disappointment about Chauvin’s punishment.
“We got justice but not enough justice,” Brandon Williams, Floyd’s nephew, told reporters after Chauvin was sentenced last week. “So I won’t celebrate this … There are some positive things to take away from this, but this 22.5 years just isn’t one for me.”
The other three officers—Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao—will stand trial together on aiding and abetting counts early next year. There has been no indication yet that they are also considering a plea deal.
Source: Forbes
Image Source: Getty Images
