On Tuesday afternoon in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the jury reached a verdict on Derek Chauvin’s trial after ten hours of deliberation. At 4 p.m. Central Time, crowds of people waited outside the Hennepin County Government Center in anticipation of the verdict, many of them waving signs in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and the late George Floyd.
At approximately 4:05, Judge Peter Cahill took his place in front of court and announced the Jury’s decision: guilty on all charges.
The first charge is for “unintentional second degree murder while committing a felony.” That felony is third degree assault. The second charge is for “third degree murder, perpetrating an eminently dangerous act,” and the last charge is for “second degree manslaughter, culpable negligence creating and unreasonable risk.”
Judge Cahill, who will be advised by lawyers from both sides of the case, has not yet declared a sentence for Mr. Chauvin, but prosecutors have asked for maximum sentencing regardless of state sentencing guidelines. The average sentence for second degree murder in Minnesota is twelve and a half years for someone with no previous criminal record like Derek Chauvin, though the maximum sentence is forty years. Chauvin’s trial has been compared to a similar trial that took place in 2019, where former Minnesota police officer Mohamed Noor was sentenced to twelve and a half years in prison for shooting an unarmed woman in 2017. It is possible that this case could serve as a precedent for Judge Cahill’s sentencing, but it is unknown when he will come to a decision.
The charge of third degree murder has a maximum of twenty-five years in prison. The penalty may sometimes be replaced with or accompanied by a $40,000 fine. Second degree manslaughter has a maximum penalty of ten years, and like the former charge, can be replaced with or accompanied by a $20,000 fine.
There is a possibility that Derek Chauvin may be able to appeal the court’s decision on the grounds that California Representative Maxine Waters publicly told protestors that a verdict of “not guilty” for Chauvin would require them to “stay in the street and fight for justice,” which might have an impact on the jury members’ decision if they had heard the remarks. Judge Cahill made the statement that “Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned,” but later said “I don’t think [Rep. Waters’ comments] prejudiced us with additional material that would prejudice this jury.”
The identities of the jurors are private, but basic information about each individual is available to the public, including approximate age, gender, and race. Of the twelve jury members, seven were women and five were men. 50% of the jurors self-identified as black or multiracial, and 50% as white. Their ages ranged from in their twenties to their sixties.
The three former Minneapolis police officers, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, who were present during Floyd’s arrest and death are charged with aiding and abetting Chauvin’s crimes of second degree murder and second degree manslaughter. All three men will be tried together in court this August.