Chauvin to be ‘cuffed & taken into custody’ if found guilty as ex-cop faces 3 charges amounting to 75 years behind bars
DEREK Chauvin will reportedly be handcuffed and taken into custody if he is found guilty as he faces three charges amounting to 75 years behind bars.
Minnesota court authorities said that the former cop will be cuffed immediately if the jury find him guilty on any count.
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Derek Chauvin will be cuffed if he is found guilty[/caption] The jury have reached a verdict[/caption]The verdict will be announced when the court reconvenes at 4.30pm ET, according to a notice posted on the Hennepin County Court’s website.
The racially diverse jury – anonymous and sequestered from the outside world – deliberated for four hours on Monday and resumed deliberating this morning at 9am.
It’s unclear when the decision was reached.
As each of the charges against Chauvin was separate, jurors had to reach a separate verdict for each count. They had to conclude Chauvin’s actions were a “substantial causal factor” in Floyd’s death and that his use of force was unreasonable.
Americans are waiting for a verdict[/caption]If found guilty of all three counts, Chauvin could face a maximum sentence of up to 75 years in prison.
Deliberations over Chauvin’s fate began on Monday afternoon after both the prosecution and defense made their closing arguments for conviction and acquittal, respectively, summing up the evidence.
During the three-week trial, prosecutors set out to prove that Chauvin acted recklessly when he knelt down on George Floyd’s neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds during an arrest on Memorial Day last year.
That neck restraint, prosecutors argued, was the direct cause of Floyd’s death and laid out evidence that he died from low levels of oxygen.
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The defense, meanwhile, countered that Chauvin had acted within reason by restraining Floyd, who they claimed had been non-compliant and under the influence of drugs.
Led by attorney Eric Nelson, the defense argued that Floyd had in fact died from a heart attack brought on by a myriad of factors, including heart disease and drug use.
A total of 45 witnesses were called to the stand throughout the course of the trial – 38 for the state and seven for the defense – including the Minneapolis police chief and other officers who openly condemned Chauvin’s actions.