Ruling paves way for longer sentence in George Floyd’s death
By AMY FORLITI Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota judge has found aggravating factors in the death of George Floyd. The ruling made public Wednesday paves the way for the possibility of a longer sentence for former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin. He was convicted in April on murder and manslaughter counts. He’s scheduled to be sentenced June 25. Under Minnesota sentencing guidelines, he would have faced a presumptive sentence of 12 1/2 years for second-degree murder. But prosecutors asked for what is known as an upward departure. They argued that Chauvin abused his authority. Chauvin’s attorney had argued that prosecutors did not prove there were aggravating factors at play. Experts have said that even with the upward departure, Chauvin is not likely to get more than 30 years.