Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Derek Chauvin Guilty of Murder in Death of George Floyd

After the long string of protests and national unrest since last summer, Derek Chauvin was finally deemed guilty for second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter, which were all of the three counts against him. After 2 days of long deliberation which ended up being 10 hours in total, the 12 person jury came to a solid conclusion deeming Chauvin to be guilty with an unreasonable doubt without even asking the judge for a single question of clarity. After the verdict was announced Chauvin was escorted out of the courtroom in handcuffs to now facing his sentence that could cost him decades due to the fact that he was found guilty on all three counts. With that being said, Chauvin has yet to be officially sentenced but will most likely but facing the maximum amount of time in jail due to the severity of his conviction. Many individuals cheered, cried outside the courtroom, and were overwhelmed with happiness after the long-awaited news. Following the 14 day long trial, the video taken by a brave young woman by the name of Darnella Frazier, was the staple of the evidence against Chauvin as it depicts the ex-police officer putting more weight on the neck of Floyd for almost 10 long minutes as his cries to fight for his life were diminishing. The defense’s argument surrounding the drugs in Floyd’s system clearly did not sell the jury. They rather let their eyes speak for themselves. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke on the matter Tuesday afternoon addressing the legislation they are planning on putting in place to preserve the legacy that George Floyd has left behind. This will hopefully start putting steps in the right direction towards a better future for black Americans in all corners of our 50 states as we begin to address the racial discrimination that has been the root of this country since it was established. Accountability is only the first step.


By: Kaytlyn Tyler


https://www.wsj.com/articles/derek-chauvin-convicted-of-murder-in-killing-of-george-floyd-11618952910

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