Derek Chauvin First Trial Shows The Effect Of Black Lives Matter On George Floyd's Case Court
JAKARTA - There are many questions about how much influence the 'Black Lives Matter', George Floyd's solidarity movement on US police reform or for the Floyd case legal process, at least. The answer, of course, is there. At least, that was what Chauvin's first trial saw. The court raised Chauvin's bail. The consideration: public pressure.
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer, United States (US) who killed George Floyd, has attended his first trial. The court set a bail of 1.25 million US dollars, or around Rp17 billion. Chauvin's lawyers have no objection to the value.
Prosecutors cited the "gravity of the accusations" and public outcry as reasons for raising bail previously valued at US $ 1 million. Derek Chauvin faces charges of second degree murder and premeditated murder.
The three other officers arrested are accused of aiding and abetting the killings. Chauvin made no defense when he appeared by teleconference.
He did not speak during the 15 minutes of the trial and was handcuffed and wearing an orange outfit while sitting at a small table. Chauvin is currently being held in the Minnesota state prison in Oak Park Heights.
The three other officers involved in Floyd's death, namely Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, were each being held on bail of US $ 1 million. They are scheduled to stand trial on June 29, according to prisoner records.
Their guarantee can be reduced to 750,000 US dollars under several conditions. Chauvin's next trial date is also scheduled for June 29.
Judge Jeannice M Reding issued $ 1.25 million in bail against Chauvin without preconditions. Another option is a guarantee of US $ 1 million, with conditions that include Chauvin not to contact the Floyd family, give up any firearms he owns, and no longer work in law enforcement or security pending trial.
Chauvin faces three separate charges: accidental second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree murder. The maximum sentences are imprisonment of 40, 25 and ten years, respectively.
Further charges could be filed, but it seems unlikely that he will be charged with first degree murder. This is because the prosecutor must prove pre-planning, intentions and motives.
Carrying multiple charges, the prosecutor gives the jury a choice and the possibility of increasing the sentence. The incident of Floyd's death also led the Minneapolis city council to impose a ban on neck braces by police officers.
During the congress, the Democratic Party has also revealed a law on police reform. George Floyd's death last May led to global protests and calls for police reform.
Chauvin, who is white, crushed Floyd's neck with his knee for nearly nine minutes in Minneapolis on May 25. Meanwhile, mourners in Houston, Texas, where Floyd lived before moving to Minneapolis, took one last look at Floyd's body on Sunday 7 June.
Floyd's body was in The Fountain of Praise, Texas, for six hours. Philonise Floyd, George Floyd's brother, thanked the other African-American families who had been killed at the hands of the police who attended the funeral.