Derek Chauvin's Sentencing Hearing Thread

[herding cats]

81. He's also up on Federal civil rights charges.

Derek Chauvin, the fired Minneapolis police officer convicted in the death of George Floyd, made his first appearance in federal court Tuesday on civil rights charges. Chauvin was charged with the federal counts in May, several weeks after his conviction in state court on murder and manslaughter charges in the killing that prompted worldwide protests calling for racial justice and police reform.

Chauvin appeared via video conference from Minnesota's maximum-security prison in Oak Park Heights, where he is currently being held as he awaits sentencing on the state charges, before Magistrate Judge Becky Thorson in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. Chauvin was represented by attorney Eric Nelson, who also represented Chauvin at his trial in Minneapolis.

The federal indictment accuses Chauvin, along with J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, the three fired officers who are awaiting trial on state charges of aiding and abetting in Floyd's death, of depriving Floyd of his civil rights under color of law — meaning while acting in their capacity as police officers. The indictment accuses Chauvin of willfully depriving Floyd of his Constitutional rights by pinning Floyd to the ground with a knee on his neck as he was handcuffed and unresisting, resulting in Floyd's death.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/derek-chauvin-civil-rights-court-appearance/