Chauvin trial: a verdict "which may allow appeasement"

Audio 19:30

Crowd relief in court in Minneapolis on April 20, 2021, following the verdict declaring Derek Chauvin guilty of the murder of African-American George Floyd.

© CARLOS BARRIA / REUTERS

By: Mikaël Ponge

22 mins

The African-American community is relieved.

After 20 days of hearing, it took only ten hours for the members of the jury of the Chauvin trial to decide on the guilt of the former police officer in the murder of George Floyd.

Publicity

It is a

"very rare"

verdict 

 which was rendered on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, in Minneapolis in the United States.

The 12 members of the jury of the Chauvin trial, found guilty the former white police officer, of all the charges which weighed against him in the death of George Floyd in May 2020.

His sentence will be known in eight weeks, he faces between 12 and 40 years in prison. In the short term, this verdict can 

"allow an appeasement", 

estimates our guest Paul Shor, lecturer in American History and Civilization at the University of Paris Diderot.

"We have an opportunity to initiate a change of course in this country,"

 said President Joe Biden who 

"placed himself alongside the family of the victim"

 according to Paul Shor, while a text to reform the American police, the "George Floyd act", is precisely under consideration in the Senate.

Already adopted in the House of Representatives with the only votes of the Democrats, the text risks encountering many obstacles, and 

"will not be enough to transform the culture of police services across the country,"

 said Paul Shor.

To read also:

 - 

The former police officer Derek Chauvin found guilty of the "murder" of George Floyd

► - 

Derek Chauvin condemned: "The image is more important than the number of years in prison"

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  • United States

  • Racism

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  • Criminality

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