Derek Chauvin pleads guilty in federal civil rights case tied to murder of George Floyd

• Derek Chauvin admitted guilt Wednesday in the federal civil rights case tied to the killing of George Floyd.
• He was previously sentenced in state court to more than 22 years in prison in connection to Floyd's death.

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges that he willfully violated George Floyd's civil rights.

Floyd died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin knelt on his neck for several minutes while Floyd said he couldn't breathe. A Minnesota jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter in Floyd's death in April, and Chauvin later was sentenced to a 22-and-a-half-year prison term.

But Chauvin still faced trial in federal court on charges of aiding and abetting deprivation of rights under color of law, and deprivation of rights under color of law. He initially pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Chauvin will be sentenced for the federal charges at a later date, but prosecutors are asking for a 25-year sentence, to be served at the same time as his state sentence, local outlet WCCO reported. He had previously faced the possibility of life in prison on the federal charges. He will also have to pay restitution, but the amount hasn't been determined yet.

Federal prosecutors had also charged Chauvin over a 2017 incident in which he held a teenager down by the throat. As part of the plea agreement that Chauvin signed on Wednesday, that case will be dismissed, WCCO reported.

The agreement also stipulates that Chauvin will never be able to work as a law enforcement officer again.

According to WCCO, Chauvin wore an orange jumpsuit to the court appearance. Members of Floyd's family were present for the hearing, including Floyd's brother, Philonise. At one point during the hearing, Philonise Floyd turned to a juvenile and said, "It's a good day for justice," CNN reported.

Chauvin's lawyer, Eric Nelson, had signaled his client would plead guilty in a Monday court filing. In anticipation of the new plea, the Associated Press spoke to a legal expert who explained how Chauvin admitting guilt in the federal case could help his fellow former officers.

The three other officers who were present for Floyd's arrest — Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao — were set to be tried alongside Chauvin in the federal case. All three have pleaded not guilty to the federal charges, in addition to state charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter.

Mike Brandt, a Minnesota defense attorney not connected to the case, told the AP that it could help the other officers' federal cases if Chauvin testifies in the trial, which is slated to start in late January, and takes responsibility for how the deadly arrest played out.

The three other officers have sought to distance themselves from Chauvin. Lawyers for the trio previously tried and failed to have their federal cases severed from Chauvin, arguing that there would be unfair prejudice against them because Chauvin was already convicted on murder and manslaughter charges tied to Floyd's death.