Chauvin sentencing: AG Ellison asking public to submit community impact statements
Derek Chauvin's latest mugshot after he was booked into prison following his conviction. (Minnesota Dept. of Corrections)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Attorney General's Office is asking the public to submit community impact statements ahead of the sentencing of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
In April, a jury convicted Chauvin on all counts for the murder of George Floyd, which happened on May 25, 2020. Attorney General Keith Ellison led the prosecution during the trial. Chauvin is set to be sentenced on Friday.
Community impact statements are statements submitted by those who have been impacted by a crime. Those statements then may be read at the sentencing hearing.
On a form on Ellison's website, people can submit their own community impact statement describing "how Mr. Chauvin’s offenses have had a social or economic impact" on their lives and community. When submitting, people must select whether they reside in Minneapolis, the state of Minnesota, the United States, or elsewhere.
"It is not common to facilitate the submission of community-impact statements in this way, but this is not a common case," a spokesman for Ellison's office told FOX 9.
Submitted statements will be provided to the court and defense team and may become part of the public record. The online portal was first set up on June 9. Submissions are due on Thursday.