Judge: Chauvin must establish residency, obtain working phone
Derek Chauvin[Hennepin County Jail]
In an amended set of conditions of release, a Hennepin County Judge ordered that former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, one of the four officers charged in the killing of George Floyd, must establish a residency and obtain a working cell phone.
The amended conditions of release came just days after bond was posted for Chauvin and was released from the Minnesota Correctional Facility – Oak Park Heights. The Department of Corrections provided the court "in camera evidence" relating to safety concerns that have come up in Chauvin’s conditional release.
The court document says Chauvin does not have a permanent address at this time.
Once finding a home in Minnesota or a "contiguous state," Chauvin is required to share his location with the Minnesota Department of Corrections, according to court records.
The former officer is also required to own a cell phone and must maintain cellular service at all times.
Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death.
The other three officers previously posted bail amounts of $750,000 and have been free pending trial. Currently, all four men are scheduled to face trial together in March, but the judge is weighing a request to have them tried separately.
Attorney for the Floyd family, Ben Crump made the following statement relating to Chauvin’s release conditions:
"The fact that Derek Chauvin is being given special treatment out of concern for his safety demonstrates how stark the contrast is between the two justice systems in America. Can you imagine a Black man awaiting trial for murder being allowed to leave the state out of concern for his safety? The police were not concerned about George Floyd’s safety even as he was handcuffed, face down on the ground with his breath and life being slowly extinguished. Yet, the man charged with killing him will roam free across state lines. It’s time to recognize and fix the inherent injustice in our systems."