Derek Chauvin Pleads Guilty to Violating George Floyd's Rights

[Drum]

Source: NYTimes

By Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs
Dec. 15, 2021, 10:28 a.m. ET
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Derek Chauvin pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a federal charge that he used his position as a Minneapolis police officer to violate George Floyd’s constitutional rights, a move expected to extend Mr. Chauvin’s time in prison beyond a decades-long sentence for murdering Mr. Floyd.

Mr. Chauvin, 45, pleaded guilty in the U.S. courthouse in St. Paul, an appearance that was most likely among the longest periods he has spent outside a prison cell since a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder in April. Since then, he has been held in solitary confinement in Minnesota’s only maximum-security prison, where he is allowed out of his 10-foot by 10-foot cell for one hour a day.

A federal prosecutor said that as part of a plea agreement reached with Mr. Chauvin, prosecutors would ask a judge to sentence him to 25 years in prison, a term that would be served in federal prison. The sentence would run concurrent to the state sentence of 22 and a half years for murder, meaning the guilty plea on Wednesday would add about two and a half years to his sentence. Mr. Chauvin appeared in court wearing an orange jumpsuit and, seated next to his lawyer, answered a judge’s questions about whether he understood the terms of the agreement.

Asked how he wanted to plead, Mr. Chauvin replied, “At this time, guilty, your honor.”

No link yet.

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[link:https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/15/us/derek-chauvin-civil-rights-guilty-plea.html?referringSource=articleShare|

[Ocelot II]

1. My guess is that he's taken the plea to the federal charge so he can go to a federal prison,

because federal prisons tend to be somewhat less wretched than state prisons. If he's in Oak Park Heights, held in solitary confinement (probably for his own protection), anything would be an improvement.

[fescuerescue]

3. Yea. That's a big upgrade for him.

If I understand correctly, he'll get an extra 2.5 years.

But his life will be much easier in Federal.

[marble falls]

2. Plus, "good time" is much reduced in Federal lock up.

[2Gingersnaps]

4. And to think the men that didn't murder Malcolm X in 1965

were just released from prison. There is no upside to this story on any level, beyond at least he was convicted.

[keopeli]

5. A state prison will let you out after about 55% of time served. The Feds won't let you go until 85%.

These are approximate numbers and each state is different, but it's true in general. If he knew he would lose the federal case, it was much smarter to move to a fed prison now and start serving your time. Conditions will be better and they can put him somewhere that an ex-cop can live in general population without threat to his life.