Derek Chauvin pleads guilty to violating George Floyd’s civil rights

My biggest question was why his defense team never called any witnesses to testify about arrestees who had been knelt on in this manor and suffered no ill effects from it. That could have seriously changed the jury's calculation as to whether a reasonable person should have known this would be fatal.

Or better yet, provide a demonstration right there in the courtroom. Have Chauvin cuffed and in the same position as Floyd with people kneeling on him in the same manner. If he survives it, that tells the jury that that procedure normally isn't fatal and that Floyd's health problems and drug use were the cause, neither of which Chauvin was aware of.

Floyd made his own decisions, he did this to himself - he was sitting in the back seat of the cop car where he had been placed, refused that and got out, gave everyone a ridiculously hard time, and this was the result.
Just like that Garner fellow, resisting arrest.
Now statues are being put up of floyd as if he was some sort of hero, when in truth he was a junkie using counterfeit bills.
Did it to himself.
What's wrong with behaving yourself??

originally posted by: REDMORGAN
He would have confessed to anything to get into federal custody and out of the state butt rape machine.

Sad end for a guy that put himself between you and those that might harm you.

Or...maybe it never happened at all and is just another project.

Except for the fact he won't be going to a federal jail. He pled guilty to the civil rights violation for violating the 4th amendment. When an officer shoots / stops the threat it is a technical seizure under the 4th amendment. Aside from the civil rights charge the feds have no jurisdiction to charge him with any other crime.

If interested - Both are essentially depriving a person of their constitutional rights while acting under color of law (IE applies to Law Enforcement).
18 USC 242 is a criminal statute.
43 USC 1983 is the civil statute.

Since he was found guilty on the state charges its an open and shut cases for the federal charge.

With that said the state charge carries a much higher penalty than the federal charge - Minnesota doesnt use a death penalty (1911it was abolished). Even though 18 USC 242 does have the death penalty as an option it must meet the criteria.

account of such person being an alien, or by reason of his color, or race, than are prescribed for the punishment of citizens, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if bodily injury results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.

If I am not mistaken race was never an issue that came up in court with the focus being on the use of the restraining technique.