After a series of trials, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd.

 

The final verdict was made on Tuesday and sparked a series of celebrations all over the country after years of protests against police brutality.

Now that Chauvin is guilty, what happens now?

8-week sentencing

Judge Peter Cahill said that it will take another eight weeks before Chauvin is sentenced.

While the former police officer had been out on bail since October last year, Judge Cahill revoked Chauvin’s bail after the verdict which means he will now await sentencing in prison.

According to Minnesota Department of Corrections spokesperson Sarah Fitzgerald, Chauvin was transferred to the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Oak Park Heights.

Fitzgerald told CNN that Chauvin is there through an agreement between the Minnesota Department of Corrections and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.

The judge needs to consider several factors in determining Chauvin’s sentence.

Judge Cahill will consider several factors to determine Chauvin’s sentence. This includes the murder taking place in front of a child, as well as the power dynamic between the civilians and the officers.

The former Minneapolis officer could face up to 40 years behind bars for second-degree murder, up to 25 years for third-degree murder, and up to 10 years for manslaughter.

The state has asked for a tougher sentence than the recommendations provided. Based on Minnesota’s sentencing guidelines the recommendation is around 12.5 years in jail for each murder charge and about four years for the manslaughter charge.

What happens to the other officers involved?

Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng are facing charges in Floyd’s death are expected to be tried in August this year. They are all charged with assisting and abetting second-degree murder and assisting and abetting second-degree manslaughter.