Derek Chauvin faces up to 75 years behind bars

Derek Chauvin now faces up to 75 years behind bars after being found guilty on all charges in George Floyd’s death.

Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. 

Chauvin faces a minimum sentence of 12.5 years and maximum of 40 years if he serves terms for each charge concurrently. If served consecutively, he faces between 29 and 75 years.  

The jury returned its verdict on Tuesday afternoon after just 10 and a half hours of deliberation. 

As the verdict was read out Chauvin looked on silently in the Hennepin County courtroom where jurors spent three weeks listening to testimony about the day Floyd died under the weight of the 46-year-old cop’s knee during an arrest on May 25, 2020.

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Second-degree murder – GUILTY  

Possible sentence: 12.5 to 40 years 

The second-degree murder charge required prosecutors to prove Chauvin caused Floyd’s death while committing or trying to commit a felony — in this case, third-degree assault. 

Prosecutors had to convince the jury that Chauvin assaulted or attempted to assault Floyd and in doing so inflicted substantial bodily harm. Prosecutors did not have to prove Chauvin was the sole cause of Floyd’s death – only that his conduct was a ‘substantial causal factor’. 

Second degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 40 years, but because Chauvin does not have any prior convictions sentencing guidelines recommend he serve 12.5 years. 

Second-degree manslaughter – GUILTY 

Possible sentence: Four to 10 years 

The manslaughter charge has a lower bar, requiring proof that Chauvin caused Floyd’s death through negligence that created an unreasonable risk, and consciously took the chance of causing severe injury or death. 

Second degree manslaughter carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison – sentencing guidelines for someone without a criminal record call for no more than four years behind bars.

Third-degree murder – GUILTY 

Possible sentence: 12.5 to 25 years 

Third-degree murder required a lower standard of proof than second-degree. To win a conviction, prosecutors needed to show only that Floyd’s death was caused by an act that was obviously dangerous, though not necessarily a felony. 

Third-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 25 years but because Chauvin has no criminal history he would likely end up serving about 12.5.