June 25, 2021, 3:16 p.m. ET
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Prosecutors Urges Longer Prison Sentence for Derek Chauvin
Matthew A. Frank, one of the prosecutors in the Derek Chauvin trial, asked the judge to sentence the former police officer to three decades in prison for the ‘cruel’ killing of George Floyd.
This is not the typical second degree of unintentional murder. The Supreme Court in our state has said that very recently even one aggravating factor is sufficient to go twice the top of the range. Here we have four. One of the things that you heard, your honor, and the jurors heard that can really encapsulate, I think, a big a very important issue here. Seven words: in your custody is in your care. And it’s real simple mantra, real easy thing to remember, if you’re going to take custody of somebody, you have to provide care. Mr. Chauvin abused his position of trust and authority as a police officer by doing just that, just disregarding his training. The typical second-degree murder does not include does not involve that extent of abuse of a dearly held position of abuse — or a position of authority and trust by the community, by individuals of the community. You honor found that Mr. Floyd was treated by with Mr. Chauvin with particular cruelty, I think, tortured is the right word.
Asking a judge to sentence Derek Chauvin to three decades in prison for killing George Floyd, a prosecutor said Mr. Chauvin had carried out “nine and a half minutes of cruelty” when he knelt on Mr. Floyd’s neck as he took his last breaths.
The prosecutor, Matthew A. Frank, also noted that several police officers — including the chief of the Minneapolis Police Department, where Mr. Chauvin had been an officer — testified against Mr. Chauvin at trial.
“Those officers didn’t hide behind a blue wall,” Mr. Frank said, using a phrase that refers to other officers refusing to testify against each other.
Mr. Frank said Mr. Chauvin had acted with unusual cruelty and deserved 30 years in prison. Mr. Chauvin’s lawyer has asked for probation and no prison time.
Mr. Frank said the crime was worse than a shooting or a punch to the face.
“That is more cruel than a typical second-degree unintentional murder — significantly more,” Mr. Frank said, referring to the most serious charge that Mr. Chauvin was convicted of. “This is 9 and a half minutes of cruelty to a man who was helpless and just begging for his life.”
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