Twenty-two and a half years in prison for Derek Chauvin. That's the sentence the ex-cop who choked George Floyd with his knee on May 25th, 2020, received last night in Minneapolis. Ten years longer than Minnesota state guidelines for second-degree murder convictions with no prior criminal history, as Chauvin's case is. Judge Peter Cahill argued that aggravating factors in the case, such as the abuse of power and "special cruelty" he said Chauvin showed, justified the decision. Floyd's agony, videotaped by a passerby, sparked the largest protests against institutional racism in decades.

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, has asked the courts for a retrial. His lawyers argue that he has been denied his right to a fair trial and that there have been procedural errors.