President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris said in comments on Tuesday that Derek Chauvin convicted of murdering George Floyd a step forward towards a more just America, but stressed that more needs to be done. Chauvin was convicted on all three charges – second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter.
“A measure of justice is not the same as equal justice,” Harris said. “This ruling brings us one step closer and the fact is that we still have work to do. We still have to reform the system.”
Harris said that injustice is not just a problem with people of color, but a problem for “every American.” She called on Congress to pass legislation reforming policing in America, particularly the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Mr. Biden agrees with Harris’ remarks.
“Today’s ruling is a step forward,” the president said. “Nothing can ever bring their brother, their father back. But it can be a giant step forward in the march to justice in America.”
The president said a conviction was “far too rare” in cases like this, and this particular conviction required a combination of factors – video footage of a 17-year-old girl, the shock of a nation, a murder that lasted almost 10 minutes in broad daylight. ‘
“We can not stop here,” he said. Biden said and insisted that more be done to ensure a similar tragedy does not happen again, and insisted that the George Floyd Justice be transferred into Police Act so he could sign it into law. . The president also urged protesters to remain peaceful as cities across the country prepared for violence.
Mr. Biden and Harris watched the verdict with their staff in the White House’s private dining room. After reading the verdict, Mr. Biden, Harris and first lady Jill Biden talk to Philonise Floyd, George Floyd’s brother, from the Oval Office. According to a video shared by Ben Crump, the attorney general of the Floyd family, Mr. Biden told them, “there is a little justice now.”
Chauvin’s bail was immediately revoked, meaning he will spend his time until he is sentenced to prison. He will be sentenced within eight weeks. In Minnesota, second-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Third-degree murder is up to 25 years in prison. Second-degree manslaughter is up to ten years in prison. But sentencing guidelines recommend less time for offenders without criminal history.
Mr. Biden paid close attention to the trial and also spoke to Floyd’s family before the verdict on Monday.
Earlier Tuesday, Mr. Biden said he “prays that the verdict is the right verdict, which I think is overwhelming.”
Following these remarks, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said she did not think the president would consider it.
Prior to the verdict, Vice President Kamala Harris told CNN that even a conviction could not take away the pain.
“Let’s say there is a conviction on the highest charge, it will not take away the pain of the Floyd family,” the vice president told CNN. “It will not take away the pain of the communities, all communities, regardless of their color or geographical location, who feel sadness and anger in what they saw in that video.”
The legal team representing the family of George Floyd issued a statement after the verdict supporting the jury’s ruling, saying the verdict was “painfully deserved.”
“Painfully deserved justice has come to George Floyd’s family and community here in Minneapolis, but today’s verdict extends far beyond this city and has important implications for the country and even the world,” said attorney Benjamin Crump. “Justice for Black America is justice for the whole of America. This case is a turning point in American history for law enforcement and sends a clear message that we hope is clearly heard in every city and every state.”
Floyd’s assassination in May sparked worldwide protests and a racial rift in the United States