Judge Accepts Chauvin Plea Deal, Will Sentence Him to 20 to 25 Years

Judge Accepts Chauvin Plea Deal, Will Sentence Him to 20 to 25 Years
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin listens to verdicts at his trial for the 2020 death of George Floyd at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis on April 20, 2021. Court TV via AP/Pool
The Associated Press
Updated:

ST. PAUL, Minn.—The judge overseeing the federal civil rights cases of four former Minneapolis police officers in the killing of George Floyd said Wednesday that he has accepted the terms of Derek Chauvin’s plea agreement and will sentence him to 20 to 25 years in prison.

Chauvin pleaded guilty Dec. 15 to violating Floyd’s civil rights, admitting for the first time that he kept his knee on Floyd’s neck—even after he became unresponsive—resulting in Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020. The former officer admitted he willfully deprived Floyd of his right to be free from unreasonable seizure, including unreasonable force by a police officer.