ATLANTA — An Atlanta attorney and national legal leader said Friday morning she expects the judge in Derek Chauvin's sentencing will "not be as lenient as the defense would hope."
C.K. Hoffler, the president of the National Bar Association and chair of the Rainbow Push Coalition, told 11Alive Anchor Aisha Howard she's expecting 15-25 years for Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd.
His sentencing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET Friday afternoon.
The ex-Minneapolis officer was recorded with his knee to Floyd's neck for nine-and-a-half-minutes as Floyd pleaded for help before dying last year, setting off nationwide protests and a society-wide movement demanding reforms to policing and, more broadly, an end to systemic racism.
"I do expect that this judge, in light of all the circumstances, the aggravating factors, is probably going to give Derek Chauvin anywhere between 15-25 years," Hoffler said Friday morning.
She said the prosecution is asking for the maximum of 30 years.
"Of course the prosecution is going to be very, very, very aggressive and say he needs the max... they're going to cite a series of aggravating factors in this case - the lack of humanity, the cruelty, the fact that he had his knee to his neck for 9 minutes 29 seconds and he never rendered medical service when obviously George Floyd needed medical attention, and that he did all this in front of children," Hoffler said. "And I think that's going to be persuasive."
Hoffler said that Chauvin's lawyers will try to mitigate those factors by emphasizing the ex-officer's background in law enforcement and previously clean record.
"The defense will put up a very, very rigorous case, because he's a first-time offender, because he doesn't have a record, because he's law enforcement, they'll try to paint him out to be sympathetic, that they should lenient and he should get probation - (arguing) he's not a danger to society, he's not a danger to himself," she said.
The attorney added, though, that the judge has already indicated he may not be receptive to those arguments.
"And by the way, the judge has already said there are these factors that are important in this case," Hoffler said. "I think the judge is going to not be as lenient as the defense would hope."
You can watch Aisha's full interview with Hoffler in the video player above this story.