Ruling paves way for longer sentence for Derek Chauvin

A judge has ruled there were aggravating factors in the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man.

A Minnesota judge has ruled that there were aggravating factors in the death of George Floyd, paving the way for a longer sentence for Derek Chauvin. In a ruling released on Wednesday, Judge Peter Cahill found that Chauvin abused his authority as a police officer when he restrained Floyd last year, and that he treated Floyd with particular cruelty. The ruling came after prosecutors requested a so-called “upward departure”, which calls for severer sentencing than those outlined in state guidelines.