AG Bill Barr Reportedly Nixed Third-Degree Murder Guilty Plea by Police Officer Who Knelt on...

[DonViejo]

Source: Mediaite


AG Bill Barr Reportedly Nixed Third-Degree Murder Guilty Plea by Police Officer Who Knelt on George Floyd’s Neck

By Reed Richardson Feb 10th, 2021, 11:30 pm

Attorney General Bill Barr rejected at the last minute a guilty plea deal from Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd, citing fears that it would spread further unrest if deemed too lenient

According to a new report from the New York Times, Chauvin had agreed to plead guilty to third-degree murder — with a likely sentence of more than 10 years — just three days after Floyd’s death. Chauvin, who is white, was captured on video kneeling on Floyd’s neck during an arrest for nearly nine minutes, a bombshell moment that sparked worldwide Black Lives Matter protests of police violence and racial inequality.

In exchange for the swift resolution of the case, he wanted a guarantee that he would not face federal charges of civil rights violations. The plea was all but a done deal, and local officials had even scheduled a press conference to announce it, when Barr refused to comply with Chauvin’s request.

An official said Mr. Barr worried that a plea deal, so early in the process and before a full investigation had concluded, would be perceived as too lenient by the growing number of protesters across America. At the same time, Mr. Barr wanted to allow state officials, who were about to take over the case from the county prosecutor who has had tense relations with Minneapolis’s Black community, to make their own decisions about how to proceed.

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/crime/ag-bill-barr-reportedly-nixed-third-degree-murder-guilty-plea-by-police-officer-who-knelt-on-george-floyds-neck/

[ShepKat]

1. that entire administration

is a walking dripping putrid full septic tank. They give humans a bad name

[Miigwech]

2. barr really knows how to bar justice

[lagomorph777]

3. Gosh, I wonder who leaked this?

Obviously, Barr's trying to salvage some scraps of his reputation.

[progree]

4. He was undoubtedly right -- a quickie 3rd degree murder plea deal and 10 years for the

Last edited Thu Feb 11, 2021, 04:29 PM - Edit history (4)

8 minute cold-blooded murder we all saw on video with the last 2 minutes motionless and no pulse.. I live 2 miles from Minneapolis. A quick 3rd degree plea deal? No way that would have gone down well with anyone except a vicious white racist. What would DUers be saying if Barr had agreed to that?

He is now being charged with 2nd degree murder, which is more serious than 3rd degree murder (the lower the degree number, the higher the seriousness).

The article says a likely sentence for 3rd degree murder of more than 10 years, but I've seen other media reports of a likely 10 years. For this case, it's very well worthwhile to go for the stronger charge of 2nd degree murder.

As for the 3rd degree murder charge being difficult to prove, yes, that's right...

But I have seen no reports of the higher charge of 2nd degree murder being difficult to prove. I'm with Keith Ellison on this.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/22/us/derek-chauvin-george-floyd-charge-dropped/index.html

Judge drops third-degree murder charge against former officer Derek Chauvin in George Floyd's death, but second-degree murder charge remains, CNN, 10/22/20

A Hennepin County judge has dropped a third-degree murder charge against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd, but denied the defendant's motion to dismiss two other charges against him.

Chauvin still faces the higher charge of second-degree unintentional murder and a second-degree manslaughter charge in Floyd's death on May 25, ...

... The exception was the third-degree murder charge against Chauvin. Cahill wrote the charge can "be sustained only in situations in which the defendant's actions were 'eminently dangerous to other persons' and were not specifically directed at the particular person whose death occurred."

But the evidence presented by the state does not show that Chauvin's actions were "eminently dangerous" to anyone but Floyd, the ruling says.

... Gov. Tim Walz ultimately appointed [Attorney General Keith] Ellison to take over the case after days of protests and speaking with the Floyd family. Ellison announced a few days later that his office had charged Chauvin with a more serious charge of second-degree murder.

[Roc2020]

5. Interesting.

That's not a crazy conclusion though. Even now a 3rd degree plea may cause problems. Curious to see what happens.

[SKKY]

6. I kinda don't have a problem with Barr's reasoning here...

...he is probably right.

[Mr.Bill]

7. I agree. That would have been like throwing gas on the fire.

Remember all the protests going on that summer.