Attorney: I Wasn't Source For NYT Article On Chauvin Plea Deal

MINNEAPOLIS — Natalie R. Paule, one of the defense attorneys for Derek Chauvin, said in a sworn affidavit Monday that she was not a source for a New York Times article about a failed plea deal that was orchestrated in the days following the death of George Floyd.

On Feb. 10, The New York Times published an article titled "Why William Barr Rejected a Plea Deal in the George Floyd Killing." In it, the Times reported that three days after Floyd's death, Chauvin "believed that the case against him was so devastating that he agreed to plead guilty to third-degree murder."

Chauvin was willing to go to prison for more than 10 years, sources told the Times.

Before Minnesota officials could announce the plea deal, William Barr — the United States Attorney General at the time — rejected it. The federal government needed to sign off on the deal because Chauvin wanted protection from federal civil rights charges.

Judge Peter Cahill has expressed serious concerns about the leak and how it may have tainted the jury. He asked state prosecutors to submit affidavits saying they were not the source for the Times article, National Public Radio reported.

Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Matthew Frank is the only member of the state prosecutor team who is yet to submit an affidavit.

State Trial Against 3 Ex-Cops In Floyd's Death Delayed To 2022

The joint manslaughter trial against former Minneapolis police officers J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Kiernan Lane, and Tou Thao in the death of George Floyd will be delayed until March. 7, 2022, Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill ruled Thursday.

In the meantime, Kueng, Lane, Thoa, and Chauvin all face federal civil rights charges.

Read more here.

Judge Rules That Chauvin Treated Floyd With 'Particular Cruelty'

Chauvin was convicted in April of second and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He will be sentenced on June 25.

Judge Cahill ruled Wednesday that four of the five factors that prosecutors argued for will apply during sentencing.

Under Minnesota sentencing guidelines, Chauvin should receive a sentence of 12.5 years, because he has never before been convicted of a crime. However, state prosecutors argue that Chauvin should receive an "upward departure" because of aggravating sentencing factors in the case.

Background On Chauvin's State Case

Chauvin was charged in the death of Floyd, a Black man who died after Chauvin kneeled on him for more than nine minutes despite Floyd's protests that he could not breathe. Floyd's death sparked nationwide protests demanding racial justice and police reform.

The racially diverse jury deliberated less than a full day before coming to a decision that concluded the two-week trial, which was closely watched as a bellwether of official responses to police killings of Black people.

"On May 25, 2020, George Floyd died faced down on the pavement," state prosecutor Steve Schleicher told jurors in his closing argument in April. "Nine minutes and 29 seconds. Throughout this time George Floyd struggled to breathe."

"What the defendant did to George Floyd killed him," Schleicher added. "It was ruled a homicide. The defendant is charged with murder."

Schleicher praised the "noble" police profession in his closing statement and noted that "this case is called the state of Minnesota versus Derek Chauvin. This is not called the state of Minnesota versus the police."

"This is not an anti-police prosecution. It's a pro-police prosecution."

Chauvin took "pride over policing," said Schleicher. "George Floyd paid for it with his life."

Meanwhile, Chauvin's defense attorney, Eric Nelson, closed Monday by saying Chauvin's actions on Memorial Day were consistent with what a "reasonable police officer" would do.

The verdict came less than two weeks after another Black man's fatal interaction with police sparked unrest in the Twin Cities metro.

Former Brooklyn Center police Officer Kim Potter faces charges of second-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of Daunte Wright, 20, in the Minneapolis suburb in April.