Derek Chauvin’s plea agreement in the federal civil rights case was accepted by the judge overseeing it on Wednesday, and now Chauvin will be sentenced to 20 to 25 years in prison.
Chauvin pleaded guilty to the charges brought against him for violating George Floyd’s civil rights on Dec. 15 after reaching a deal with prosecutors. Now, U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson has accepted his plea deal after his presentencing investigation was completed, the Associated Press reported.
Almost two years since the death of Floyd, Chauvin has admitted for the first time that he kept his knee on Floyd’s neck, which resulted in his death on May 25, 2020.
Chauvin admitted wilfully that he deprived Floyd of his right to be free from an unreasonable seizure which includes force by a police officer.
Under the plea deal, the former Minneapolis police officer will have a sentence that ranges from 20 to 25 years, with prosecutors looking for the full 25. If he had not come to the deal, he could have been dealt life in prison on the federal count.
However, now he could serve from 17 to 21 years and three months if he is credited for good time.
Chauvin is currently serving a 22 ½ year sentence for his murder conviction through state court last year. He is currently appealing that conviction, saying the jury was swayed by public interference.
Both sentences will be served concurrently.
Magnuson shared his one-page order on Wednesday that a sentencing date has yet to be set for Chauvin, as well as for the other three officers who were present with Chauvin are also charged with violating Floyd’s rights.
The officers, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng, are still going through their presencing investigations and are set to appear in state court on charges of aiding and abetting Chauvin in Floyd’s murder this summer.
At the state level, all three rejected plea agreements.
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