You Don’t Want A First Degree Murder Charge For Derek Chauvin

Here’s Why

Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash

Protests continue to grip the nation over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed man who died in police custody on Memorial Day. Many people involved in the protesting call Derrick Chauvin, the officer who killed Floyd, to be charged with first degree murder. Murder in the first degree is the harshest penalty in Minnesota, and if convicted, it would carry a life sentence.

But if they want to see Derek Chauvin face a penalty in the justice system, then a first degree murder charge is a mistake.

The Definition

Murder charges are determined by each state via state statute. While they are all similar in their definition, some states have varying interpretations, punishments, and modifiers to their murder charges. Here is the definition of first degree murder in the state of Minnesota:

Causes the death of a human being with premeditation and with intent to effect the death of the person or of another

There are a bunch of other clarifying lines that include things such as killing someone during the act of rape, a drive by shooting, intentional arson, and others but the thing that needs to be addressed here is the premeditated language. You can read the full definition here.