Derek Chauvin asks for probation as prosecutors seek 30 years ahead of sentencing

Derek Chauvin asked a judge to sentence him to a term of probation or a shorter prison term than suggested by Minnesota guidelines in a sentencing memorandum filed Wednesday. The memo cites Chauvin's lack of previous criminal history, his previous work as a police officer and the risk he could be victimized in prison as factors the judge should consider as he weighs a sentence. 

But in another memorandum filed Wednesday, prosecutors asked for a sentence of 30 years for the convicted former Minneapolis officer, a term they said would "properly account for the profound impact of [Chauvin's] conduct on the victim, the victim's family, and the community."  Chauvin was convicted April 21 of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd. A jury agreed with prosecutors who said Chauvin caused Floyd's death when he pinned him to the ground with a knee on his neck for more than nine minutes during a May 2020 arrest in Minneapolis.