Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison gave his initial reaction to the sentencing of Derek Chauvin with News Talk 830 WCCO’s Chad Hartman on Monday afternoon. His take? There's no second-guessing the sentence.
“The guidelines sentence is 150 months, so it’s 10 years past the guidelines sentence, which is substantial,” Ellison said. “We asked for 360 [months] because we thought that was warranted based on the aggravating factors, but three days later, I am not questioning Judge Cahill’s decision.”
Ellison thinks that Judge Peter Cahill based his decision on the facts and the law. He also shared that the Floyd family has shown dignity throughout a difficult period.
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“I also think it’s important for people to know that Derek Chauvin is a person,” he said. “He has a mother; he has people who care about him, and I’m sure his prison sentence is going to take a toll on them. But that’s what accountability is in our society.”
During the sentencing, Chauvin spoke very briefly, offering his condolences to the Floyd family, saying he could not speak fully because of other pending legal matters, but that some information will be coming to light that will offer them some closure.
Ellison has an idea of what Chauvin was talking about but says it would only be “pure speculation.”
“It’s kind of not a great idea to just speculate but what I will say is that I can’t look into his heart, so I don’t know, but I think it was a good thing to express his condolences,” Ellison said. “I think it’s not nearly enough and certainly doesn’t take care of the harm done.”
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Victims often simply want an explanation of why someone did what they did to them or their loved ones, according to Ellison. So he will be waiting just like everyone else to see what Chauvin has to say, that he couldn’t in the courtroom.
After the sentencing, Ellison spoke about several topics, including police reform. Ellison believes that dealing with police accountability is essential to restoring community safety.
When it comes to the need for police officers in Minneapolis, Ellison would like to see police chief Arradondo bring in people with his value set, not just anyone. He would also like to see more community engagement to help restore the trust in the police department.