Great national expectation was this Monday for the end of the trial in Minneapolis against Derek Chauvin, The police accused of suffocating George Floyd in that same city a year ago and death sparked violent protests across the country.
After two weeks of trial, prosecutors and defense attorneys presented their closing arguments leaving the jury in the hands of the jury. final verdict.
(You may be interested in: Shocking revelations of George Floyd’s last moments)
The closing arguments were, in a sense, a summary of what was seen live and broadcast over these 15 days.
For the prosecution, which accuses Derek of three charges –second-degree and third-degree murder and homicide-, the case is very simple and its resolution has only one possible way: that it was the actions of the police that cost the life of this 46-year-old man and that they must therefore plead guilty to all. A sentence that includes between 10 and 50 years in prison.
Jerry Blackwell, the chief prosecutor of the team that accuses Derek, came back on one of the strongest arguments he had in his favor. The video is over 9 minutes long in which he sees Derek put his knee on Floyd’s neck until he stops breathing and is pronounced dead by paramedics.
(Also: Police involved in George Floyd’s murder were released)
Protests over the death of George Floyd took place in Minneapolis and other U.S. cities.
“They can believe what their eyes saw. That was a murder, period, ”Blackwell said.
The prosecutor, of course, brought up the testimonies of the 15 people he questioned before the jury.
Forensic doctors who confirmed the died of asphyxiation from Floyd, Police and ex-policemen who described as excessive and unnecessary the type of force that Derek used to immobilize the African-American and that of passers-by who begged him to stop.
(Be sure to read: US faces massive protests over police abuse cases)
George Floyd “asked for help with his last breath” and was not a threat to anyone, prosecutor Steve Schleicher said in the final allegations of the trial. “All that was required of him was a little compassion and he showed nothing that day,” he added. “He called for help with his last breath, but the officer did not help,” Schleicher said.
The world that painted Floyd’s defense was like another planet.
For these, Floyd did not die of asphyxiation but as a result of his drug and alcohol addiction, which had weakened his body.
The maneuver used to control it is not prohibited by the police manual so some disagree and if he did not let go Floyd in those long and agonizing 9 minutes it was because he feared for his life as he was surrounded by people who reprimanded him for the brutality employed in the arrest.
Protesters hold placards in honor of George Floyd and other victims of racism.
Derek, who pleaded not guilty, did not testify during the trial invoking his right not to incriminate himself with his own testimony. Under US regulations. UU. The jury will have to deliberate without interruption until a verdict is reached which must be unanimous so that there can be a conviction.
To do this, the members of the jury must isolate themselves and lock themselves in a hotel to review them all the evidence presented at trial and come to a sentence. It is expected that, if there is consensus, a failure can occur between Wednesday and Friday of this week. However, it could take more days or weeks.
If there is finally no unanimity, either by a single jury, Derek would be acquitted in the process. Prosecutors, should that happen, could request a new trial with another judge and jury.
In the event of a conviction, the judge will take a few weeks before determining the sentence based on the maximums and minimums contemplated by the charges against him.
(Read here: George Floyd: girlfriend claims he was addicted to opiates and had covid)
What charges can Chauvin face?
The ex-agent is charged with second-degree murder, punishable by up to 40 years in prison; third-degree murder, with a maximum sentence of 25 years, and second-degree murder, which carries up to 10 years of deprivation of liberty.
However, as he has no criminal record, he could only be sentenced to a maximum of 12 and a half years imprisonment for the first two charges and 4 years in prison for the third.
The second-degree murder in the US UU. It can occur in two scenarios: when the accused intentionally kills someone, but without premeditation, or when there is no intent, but violence is used to commit the crime.
In his final allegations, prosecutor Steve Schleicher argued that Chauvin is guilty of this charge because he “assaulted Floyd, applied unlawful force intentionally and inflicted substantial bodily harm on him,” which ended in his death. According to evidence presented by the Minnesota Prosecutor’s Office, Chauvin pressed Floyd’s neck with his knee for 9 minutes and 29 seconds, Which allegedly caused his death by suffocation.
(Read here: United States is experiencing a wave of mass shootings with no solution in sight)
Authorities deployed riot police in the city last year after Floyd’s death. The National Guard is present this time.
The charge of third-degree murder requires that the death occur involuntarily, without premeditation, but because of a irresponsible or reckless action, As in many traffic accidents in which a pedestrian dies.
For prosecutors, Chauvin acted recklessly toward human life by placing his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes, although the African-American man claimed on several occasions that he could not breathe. “The defendant caused Floyd’s death by an intentional act that was eminently dangerous to others and acted with a state of mind consisting of an indifferent contempt for human life.“Schleicher stressed.
because Chauvin is convicted of second-degree murder, The jury will have to decide that Floyd’s death occurred as a result of the police officer’s negligence. “The defendant caused the death of Floyd, For culpable negligence, as it created an unreasonable risk and notoriously risked causing death or serious bodily harm, “Schleicher alleged.
Derek Chauvin, the man captured by Floyd’s death.
Fire test for justice
And while the technical aspects are important, all eyes on the world are set on what happens on the outskirts of the court in Minneapolis.
Floyd’s case is seen as a kind of test of fire for American justice, which is amid strong criticism for its apparent docility when it comes to lawsuits against members of the police force in cases involving members of the judiciary. the public force
“Everyone saw what happened. No one would understand, not just in the US, but on the planet, a verdict other than guilt,” he said this weekend. House Representative Karen Bass.
For Bass, in this process not only is Derek in the middle but years of injustice against this community and the endemic racism that seems to exist in certain sectors of the country.
Floyd’s death triggered violent protests last year all over the country that left dead, wounded and much devastation. The fear is that if they declare him innocent something equal or worse will happen again.
The spirits are also very heated by the death 10 days ago of another African American, Daunte Wright, in a meeting with the police in the same city.
In this case, a uniformed man shot Wright for not obeying his orders when he stopped him because his plates were over.
Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo testified during the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin accused of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.
Everyone saw what happened. No one would understand, not just in the U.S., but on the planet, a verdict other than guilt: House Representative Karen Bass
Serious riots have been raging in the area since then, spreading to other cities this weekend. And his funeral will be this Thursday, which could coincide with the jury’s verdict.
The death of a 13-year-old Hispanic boy who died in a shooting with Chicago police has also caused a great scandal.
Protests continue after the death of Daunte Wright at the hands of Minneapolis police.
Generally, the nerves are pointed after a series of gunfire massacres in several country cities that have occurred in recent weeks.
The last of them this Saturday when a 19-year-old killed 8 people in Indianapolis and the case has once again unleashed debate over the port of arms and its easy access.
The situation constitutes a huge challenge for President Joe Biden that during the campaign promised to push laws and authorize measures that allow to put in waist to the uniformed ones and guarantee transparency in the processes.
But now it will be he who will have to deal with a possible popular uprising if Derek Chauvin is found not guilty.
SERGIO GÓMEZ MASERI
EL TEMPS correspondent
Washington
On Twitter @ sergom68
Read More
-United States faces massive protests over police abuse cases
-They accuse police of killing Afro in the US by involuntary manslaughter. UU.
-Biden’s risky bet on Afghanistan