Nearly fives months after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, new updates surrounding his case have come to light regarding Derek Chauvin, the ex-officer who has been charged with Floyd’s murder.
Chauvin posted a $1 million bond this past Wednesday, Oct. 7, and was allowed to leave the Oak Park Heights prison to await his trial. Facing both manslaughter and second degree murder charges for the death of George Floyd, Chauvin must wait until March of next year to hear his verdict. Along with Chauvin, the three other individuals also facing charges are ex-officers, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng.
All three individuals were charged with aiding and abetting manslaughter, as well as second degree murder.
In light of his posting bail, Chauvin was also granted permission this past Thursday, Oct. 8, to move to a neighboring state until the day of his trial, as concerns for his safety arose since his release from jail prompted new protests.
The Floyd family attorney, Ben Crump, released a statement on Oct. 9, in which he voiced his discontent asserting, “The fact that Derek Chauvin is being given special treatment out of concern for his safety demonstrates how stark the contrast is between the two justice systems in America.”
While Chavin was originally required to stay within the borders of Minnesota, the new court ruling that was given this past Thursday seems to have angered individuals across the country even more. According to an article written by Vanessa Romo for NPR, the ruling also comes with a specific set of rules that Chauvin will have to abide by until his trial. The rules are as follows: he must have a phone with him at all times and he must keep in contact regularly with his conditional release officer.
In regards to the case itself, the ex-officer has not entered a plea. And it seems as though none of the other individuals involved with the case have entered a plea either. Kueng’s attorney stated self defense, and Thao’s and Lane’s attorneys called for a dismissal of the case altogether. In an article for the Wall Street Journal, Joe Barret writes, “Hennepin County Judge Peter A. Cahill has said he hopes to rule by Oct. 15 on motions for and against holding one trial for all of the defendants, motions by defendants for a change of venue and whether to sequester and protect the anonymity of jurors.”
Until then, Chauvin will be moving a state over, with his address completely underwraps and only shared on a need-to-know basis. Chauvin, and his attorneys have declined to speak about anything regarding the case to any news and media outlets. Barret also writes that in the event of the trial next year, the National Guard will be brought in to assist in any disturbances or unrest that should follow the trial.
