National Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump, Floyd family and Legal Team React to Sentencing of Derek Chauvin

Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump and co-counsel Antonio Romanucci and Chris Stewart, along with the Floyd family, issued the following statement about Chauvin’s sentence. Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd and today was sentenced to 22.5 years.

“This historic sentence brings the Floyd family and our nation one step closer to healing by delivering closure and accountability. For once, a police officer who wrongly took the life of a Black man was held to account. While this shouldn’t be exceptional, tragically it is. Day after day, year after year, police kill Black people without consequence. But today, with Chauvin’s sentence, we take a significant step forward – something that was unimaginable a very short time ago. Now, we look for Chauvin to also be convicted on the federal charges pending against him and for the three other officers to face consequences for their actions. That would represent important additional steps toward justice.

“At the same time, it’s important to acknowledge how far we’ve come. Those who raised their voices to demand justice for George Floyd need to know that their activism made a difference. Not only were Chauvin and the City of Minneapolis held accountable, but cities and states across the country have passed meaningful reforms, including restrictions on chokeholds and better training and protocols. We need this sentence to usher in a new era of accountability that transforms how Black people are treated by police. To achieve that – real, lasting change in police departments from coast to coast – we need the U.S. Senate to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act without further delay.”

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About Ben Crump Law
Through his work, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has spearheaded a legal movement to better protect the rights of marginalized citizens. He has led landscape-changing civil rights cases and represented clients in a wide range of areas including civil rights, personal injury, labor and employment, class actions, and more. Ben Crump Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. For more information, visit www.bencrump.com.

About Romanucci & Blandin, LLC
Romanucci & Blandin is a Chicago-based national trial practice committed to fighting for victims of negligence, abuse and wrongful death arising from police misconduct, corporate negligence, civil rights actions, medical malpractice, mass torts and class actions. Founded in 1998, the firm is widely recognized for representing plaintiffs in numerous practice areas including: workers’ compensation, pharmaceuticals, civil rights, police misconduct, excessive force, aviation, product liability and premises liability. For more information, please visit www.rblaw.net or call (312) 458-1000.

About Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys
Atlanta-based Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys has handled numerous high-profile wrongful death cases involving law enforcement and represents victims of police violence around the country. Led by L. Chris Stewart and Justin Miller, the firm specializes in cases involving civil rights, wrongful death, premises liability and sexual assault. The firm won the first-ever billion-dollar jury verdict involving a rape victim. For more information visit www.smstrial.com or call (844) TRIAL-00.