Minneapolis cops slowly murder handcuffed man in front of crowd

[NewYorkExpress]

https://abcnews.go.com/US/derek-chauvin-officer-accused-killing-george-floyd-charged/story?id=71941032

The former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd is also facing multiple felony charges of tax evasion.

Derek Chauvin and his estranged wife, Kellie May Chauvin, were charged on Wednesday by Washington County prosecutors with failing to file their taxes since 2016 and filing fraudulent returns since 2014.

The couple, who have two homes in Oakdale, Minnesota, and one in Windermere, Florida, owe $37,868 in taxes and penalties, according to the criminal complaint.

Chauvin's clearly a bad egg at this point.

[Damocles]

Chauvin's clearly a bad egg at this point.

Violence, money laundering, drugs, gun running, murder, bribery, blackmail, wire fraud, extortion, kidnapping, and... jaywalking.

[NewYorkExpress]

Chauvin's clearly a bad egg at this point.

Violence, money laundering, drugs, gun running, murder, bribery, blackmail, wire fraud, extortion, kidnapping, and... jaywalking.

Hey, they got Al Capone on Tax Evasion, not being the leader of an organized crime syndicate.

[NewYorkExpress]

https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2020/08/28/prosecutors-to-seek-stiff-penalties-for-ex-officers-involved-in-george-floyds-death/

Prosecutors in the case against four former Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd intend to seek stiff sentences if the men are convicted, saying in court documents filed Friday that Floyd was vulnerable as he was handcuffed with his chest pressed against the ground and he was treated with particular cruelty.

Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office also noted that the former officers were in a position of authority at the time and “inflicted gratuitous pain on Mr. Floyd” as witnesses, including multiple children, watched.

<Snip>

Under the state’s sentencing guidelines, a conviction on second-degree unintentional murder and third-degree murder both carry presumptive sentences of 12.5 years. But a judge can order a sentence ranging up to 15 years without departing from the guidelines. For second-degree manslaughter, the guidelines call for four years in prison, or a discretionary range up to 4.75 years.

But prosecutors said Friday that they will ask for an “upward departure” from the sentencing guidelines for all four men — meaning they intend to seek even higher penalties. The second-degree murder charge carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, while third-degree murder carries a maximum of up to 25 years and manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

Ellison's office has not commented on just how much prison time the officers will face.

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/514262-ex-minneapolis-officer-in-floyd-death-asks-judge-to-dismiss-murder

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who killed George Floyd after kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes, asked a judge to dismiss murder charges against him.

Chauvin’s attorneys argued in court filings Friday that there is not sufficient probable cause to sustain charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

“This motion is based upon the files and records in this case, the Minnesota Statutes, the Minnesota Rules of Criminal Procedure, the United States and Minnesota Constitutions and upon such other and further points and authorities as may subsequently be presented to the Court,” his attorneys wrote.

Based on the evidence we have seen thus far, is there enough evidence to maintain the charges against Chauvin and the other officers?

[NewYorkExpress]

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/cops-blame-seek-trials-floyds-death-72942354

Prosecutors in the case of four former Minneapolis officers charged in George Floyd's death told a judge Friday that the men should face trial together because the evidence and charges against them are similar and multiple trials could traumatize witnesses and Floyd's family.

But defense attorneys argued for separate trials, saying they would likely offer “antagonistic” defenses and that the evidence against one officer could hurt another.




The former officers appeared in court Friday for a hearing on the prosecution’s request to hold a joint trial, a defense request to move the trial out of Minneapolis, and other issues. Judge Peter Cahill took most issues under advisement, but granted a defense request to remove a local prosecutor from the case.

.....

Cahill said Friday that four Hennepin County prosecutors, including County Attorney Mike Freeman, are disqualified from the trial because they met with the county medical examiner to discuss autopsy results. Cahill said they could be called as witnesses because the cause of death is in dispute. Freeman has long been out of favor with local activists for the way his office has handled cases against police officers.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

The judge for the trials of the killers of George Floyd just booted Hennepin County attorney Mike Freeman from being the prosecutor and also disqualified others in his office from the case citing their sloppy handling: https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/judge-disqualifies-hennepin-co-attorney-from-prosecuting-george-floyd-trial

Glad this guy won't be handling it anymore.

[philly09]

A twist: George Floyd was an informant for the MN Police Dept.


https://twitter.com/ChrisANethery/status/1305257886734524427

[Ferguson97]

A twist: George Floyd was an informant for the MN Police Dept.


https://twitter.com/ChrisANethery/status/1305257886734524427

I sincerely have no clue what the implications of this are. Did Chauvin know he was an informant?

[NewYorkExpress]

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/19/us/george-floyd-street-name-trnd/index.html

An intersection in Minneapolis will now be named after George Floyd, following a unanimous city council vote Friday.

The site where Floyd drew his last breath, at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, has since been transformed into a memorial site and maintained by volunteers.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/court-weighs-allowing-courtroom-cameras-george-floyd-case-73115431

The trial of four former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd's death will generate massive public interest when it begins in March, but as it stands, most people who want to watch the proceedings will be out of luck.

The judge overseeing the case has yet to decide whether cameras will be allowed. Supporters of audio and visual coverage say the high-profile nature of Floyd’s death, the outrage that led to worldwide protests, and courtroom restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic make this the right time and case to allow cameras in court. But the state attorney general’s office, which is prosecuting the case, opposes them, saying cameras would only create more problems.



“I just can’t think of a situation where it’s more important than a case like this for the public to see what’s actually transpiring in the courtroom,” said Jane Kirtley, director of the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law.

“Justice that cannot be observed cannot really be considered justice. The public won’t believe what they can’t see,” she added.

In June, Judge Peter Cahill decided against allowing audio and visual coverage of pretrial proceedings because he said it would risk tainting the possible jury pool and the state opposed it. But Cahill, who is still weighing requests to try the defendants separately, said he would rule on trial audio and video coverage at a later date. It’s unclear when that ruling will come.


.....


Unlike many other states, Minnesota does not allow cameras at criminal trials before sentencing unless the judge, prosecutors and defense attorneys agree to them. The former officers have consented to cameras, but prosecutors have resisted, saying they may revisit the issue as the trial nears.

[Ferguson97]

Side-note: How are they POSSIBLY going to find an unbiased jury?

[NewYorkExpress]

Side-note: How are they POSSIBLY going to find an unbiased jury?

It probably would be in the prosecution's best interest to at least attempt to plea bargain this out (even though I believe all four cops should be facing the Death Penalty), because finding an impartial jury will be impossible, unless the trial is moved to the American Samoa or something.

[Ferguson97]

Side-note: How are they POSSIBLY going to find an unbiased jury?

It probably would be in the prosecution's best interest to at least attempt to plea bargain this out (even though I believe all four cops should be facing the Death Penalty), because finding an impartial jury will be impossible, unless the trial is moved to the American Samoa or something.

Is it possible to hand-pick a jury out of people who have been in comas from May 2020 - March 2021?

[NewYorkExpress]

Chauvin officially out on bail.

[Badger]

Chauvin officially out on bail.

And a mega f*** you to all the people who donated to his Go fund me account which undoubtedly raised the hundred grand necessary to post this one million-dollar Bond.

[Anti Democrat Democrat Club]

Alexa play Chicken Huntin

[NewYorkExpress]

Third Degree Murder Charges dropped. Second Degree Murder Charges remain.

A Hennepin County judge has dropped a third-degree murder charge against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd, but denied the defendant's motion to dismiss two other charges against him.

Chauvin still faces the higher charge of second-degree unintentional murder and a second-degree manslaughter charge in Floyd's death on May 25, which sparked nationwide protests and a reckoning over race and policing this summer.

Chauvin, who was released on $1 million bond earlier this month, was seen in videos of the incident kneeling on Floyd's neck for almost eight minutes, while the Black man told Chauvin and three other officers -- Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng -- that he couldn't breathe.

In the ruling issued Wednesday, Judge Peter Cahill also denied motions to dismiss charges against the other now-former Minneapolis police officers, who have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

[Gass3268]

https://twitter.com/smontemayor/status/1319646245489692677?s=20

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Chauvin needs to get the OJ treatment: get him for everything he's got. If he wins the criminal trial, sue him civilly. If he writes a book about his crimes, have the Floyd family garnish any earnings from the book and take over rights to it. Never let this man see another day where the law isn't on his trail.

Let's make an example out of this pig.

[Fuzzy Bear Loves Christian Missionaries]

Chauvin needs to get the OJ treatment: get him for everything he's got. If he wins the criminal trial, sue him civilly. If he writes a book about his crimes, have the Floyd family garnish any earnings from the book and take over rights to it. Never let this man see another day where the law isn't on his trail.

Let's make an example out of this pig.

This is never justified.  Never.  There is far more than a dime's worth of difference between justice and vengeance.

Chauvin should receive the penalties appropriate for the crimes he actually is convicted of.  He should pay civil damages for the civil wrongs he is found to have committed.  But he should only be charged with crimes for which there is probable cause.  He should only be convicted if there is guilt established beyond a reasonable doubt; the verdict should not reflect meeting some lower standard such as a preponderance of evidence.  If he is civilly sued, such a verdict should not reflect a desire to punish; it should reflect a preponderance of the evidence supporting his culpability and a preponderance of evidence supporting both Chauvin's fault and damages incurred.

Americans of all colors need to be told that they are NOT entitled to vengeance.  They are entitled to Equal Justice under the Law, and that principle applies in the righting of wrongs (to the extent that the Legal System can actually do this).  They are NOT entitled to charges that are not justified by Probable Cause being filed.  They are not entitled to civil judgements that reflect a desire to punish without regard for actual negligence and actual damages.  Such actions by prosecutors undermine the Rule of Law, the quality of our nation that puts it above all others in so many ways.

We "make examples" out of people at our own peril.  It feels good to some to do this to Derek Chauvin.  Would it actually BE a good thing to do so when that example is used against others whose notoriety is less unanimous?

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Chauvin needs to get the OJ treatment: get him for everything he's got. If he wins the criminal trial, sue him civilly. If he writes a book about his crimes, have the Floyd family garnish any earnings from the book and take over rights to it. Never let this man see another day where the law isn't on his trail.

Let's make an example out of this pig.

This is never justified.  Never.  There is far more than a dime's worth of difference between justice and vengeance.

Chauvin should receive the penalties appropriate for the crimes he actually is convicted of.  He should pay civil damages for the civil wrongs he is found to have committed.  But he should only be charged with crimes for which there is probable cause.  He should only be convicted if there is guilt established beyond a reasonable doubt; the verdict should not reflect meeting some lower standard such as a preponderance of evidence.  If he is civilly sued, such a verdict should not reflect a desire to punish; it should reflect a preponderance of the evidence supporting his culpability and a preponderance of evidence supporting both Chauvin's fault and damages incurred.

Americans of all colors need to be told that they are NOT entitled to vengeance.  They are entitled to Equal Justice under the Law, and that principle applies in the righting of wrongs (to the extent that the Legal System can actually do this).  They are NOT entitled to charges that are not justified by Probable Cause being filed.  They are not entitled to civil judgements that reflect a desire to punish without regard for actual negligence and actual damages.  Such actions by prosecutors undermine the Rule of Law, the quality of our nation that puts it above all others in so many ways.

We "make examples" out of people at our own peril.  It feels good to some to do this to Derek Chauvin.  Would it actually BE a good thing to do so when that example is used against others whose notoriety is less unanimous?

Tell that to the Goldman family. They chased OJ into his own prison cell.

I'm not advocating any legal wrongdoing, quite the opposite. And frankly it's up to the Floyd family how they choose to proceed. Many victims' families choose to move on. But it's only reasonable to hold our *clears throat* public servants more accountable when they abuse their positions of authority, which in this case they obviously did.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Chauvin needs to get the OJ treatment: get him for everything he's got. If he wins the criminal trial, sue him civilly. If he writes a book about his crimes, have the Floyd family garnish any earnings from the book and take over rights to it. Never let this man see another day where the law isn't on his trail.

Let's make an example out of this pig.

The problems with American policing are systemic. No amount of punishment meted out to individual officers is going to improve anything. When we pretend that the problem is individual bad cops we are actually preventing ourselves from acknowledging and repairing (or replacing) a broken system.

Police officers can certainly abuse their power and trust. And when they do, they should be punished under the law. But if you want to change the system then "make the cop pay" is the wrong approach to take. Make the police department (and the city that employs it) face real, painful (and legal) consequences of choices in hiring, training, and policy (de jure or de facto) and you may see real change.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Chauvin needs to get the OJ treatment: get him for everything he's got. If he wins the criminal trial, sue him civilly. If he writes a book about his crimes, have the Floyd family garnish any earnings from the book and take over rights to it. Never let this man see another day where the law isn't on his trail.

Let's make an example out of this pig.

The problems with American policing are systemic. No amount of punishment meted out to individual officers is going to improve anything. When we pretend that the problem is individual bad cops we are actually preventing ourselves from acknowledging and repairing (or replacing) a broken system.

Police officers can certainly abuse their power and trust. And when they do, they should be punished under the law. But if you want to change the system then "make the cop pay" is the wrong approach to take. Make the police department (and the city that employs it) face real, painful (and legal) consequences of choices in hiring, training, and policy (de jure or de facto) and you may see real change.

I agree. But any attempt to profit off of a murder should be negated by our justice system. If Chauvin becomes a martyr to the bootlickers and writes an OJ-esque novel about 'if I were guilty', the Floyd family has every right to challenge that in civil court.

[LBJer]

[/quote]

There is far more than a dime's worth of difference between justice and vengeance.

[/quote]

Disagree.  The difference between justice and vengeance is similar to the difference between freedom fighting and terrorism.  If one believes an act of retribution--legal or not--is fair and morally justified, one would probably call it justice.  If one concludes it was unfair and unjustified, one would probably call it vengeance.  Personally, I don't think vengeance is necessarily a bad thing, and I believe that justice and vengeance are not mutually exclusive.  When, on NCIS, Leroy Jethro Gibbs killed Pedro Hernandez, it was vengeance, because Hernandez had killed Gibbs' wife and daughter.  But because Hernandez deserved it, it was also justice. 

[Badger]

We need to separate rioters, protesters, and looters because they are all different and have to be considered as such.
Protesters: people who march out peacefully but vigorously and use their 1st amendment rights to petition for better treatment from the government. They are key in keeping up pressure on the MPD and they should be lauded.
Rioters: the fringe elements disparately connected to the protestors in theory but with different tactics, which involve destroying private property, harming what little remains of civic peace, and literally and figuratively pouring gasoline on the fire.
Looters: opportunistic sorts focused not on any greivances they might have about the status quo but rather using the anarchy to rob people and attack people and steal their belongings.
The first group should not be tarred with the misguided frenzy of the second and the villainous harm of the third. Public order has to be upheld and so does the social contract. The social peace MUST be preserved or else things fall apart.

I agree with this characterization.

But to put it in context of your earlier point, Hawaii Democrat apologize supposedly for writing and destruction, it is because they had literally no connection, in fact actively denounced such actions. Here with the proud boys and Q anons takeover of the capital, the exact opposite is true where they are a 100% MAGA paramilitary cult, Trump has actively and aggressively encourage them, and most of the Republican party has actively and aggressively supported Trump's doing so.

So while I agree with your divisions of protesters versus looters, Etc,, the connection between idiots who looted stores or set fires during riots this summer. Democratic party vs the Republican party and Trump's connection to the mob who took over the capital yesterday is literally a night-and-day distinction.

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

So just popping up here to note the disparity in treatment between Mr. Floyd and the people that beat a Capitol cop to death.