Derek Chauvin, the former police officer charged with the murder of African American man George Floyd has had his bail raised to US$1.25 million ($1.8 million) as US House and Senate Democrats unveiled a sweeping police reform bill in the wake of widespread protests.
The 134-page bill, called the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, would make it easier to prosecute officers for misconduct while banning chokeholds and addressing racism.
Before unveiling the bill, House and Senate Democrats knelt for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the length of time prosecutors say Mr Floyd was pinned under a white police officer’s knee before he died on May 25.
“A profession where you have the power to kill should be a profession that requires highly trained officers who are accountable to the public,” said Karen Bass, a Democrat who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus.
Chauvin, 44, has been charged with second and third-degree murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s May 25 death in Minneapolis by kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Chauvin made his first court appearance by video link. He was handcuffed in an orange jumpsuit and sitting at a small table, the Minnesota-based Star Tribune said after the hearing.
Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Matthew Frank argued that the “severity of the charges” as well as the strength of public opinion against Mr Chauvin made it more likely that he would flee if set free, the Star Tribune reported.
Mr Chauvin’s bail was raised to US$1.25 million from US$1 million without conditions, and to US$1 million from US$750,000 with conditions.
The conditions include prohibitions against working in law enforcement and contact with Mr Floyd’s family.
Mr Chauvin would also have to surrender any licences or permits for guns to qualify for the lower bail amount, the order said.
Three other officers have also been charged in relation to Mr Floyd’s death.
###
Prince Andrew’s legal team has denied claims he was not cooperating with US authorities on the Jeffrey Epstein case, saying their client has offered himself up as a witness on three separate occasions.
US investigators have been seeking to speak to the Duke of York as part of their investigation into convicted sex offender Epstein, a former financier who was found dead in his New York jail cell in August 2019.
The statement was released on Monday by the Prince’s lawyers Blackfords, after newspapers reported he had refused to speak to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) during its investigation into Epstein and possible accomplices.
His lawyers suggested the DOJ was “seeking publicity” rather than accepting help from the Duke.
“The Duke of York has on at least three occasions this year offered his assistance as a witness to the DOJ,” the statement read.
“Unfortunately, the DOJ has reacted to the first two offers by breaching their own confidentiality rules and claiming that the Duke has offered zero cooperation.
“In doing so, they are perhaps seeking publicity rather than accepting the assistance proffered.”
Blackfords said the DOJ had advised them the Duke was not a “target” of their investigation into Epstein and they had sought “his confidential, voluntary co-operation”.
Prince Andrew stepped away from Royal duties in November last year after a disastrous interview with the BBC about his relationship with Epstein, saying he would help “any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required”.
###
Last year’s The Bachelorette Angie Kent has sparked rumours she has broken up with her beau Carlin Sterritt, after declaring her relationship status was “no one’s business”.
Angie, 30, was the leading lady in the most recent season of Channel 10’s The Bachelorette, which saw Carlin win her heart.
Six months since the finale aired, reports are emerging the pair have already called it quits, with the couple unfollowing each other on Instagram yesterday, before mysteriously following each other again today.
The ex Gogglebox star has blasted reports surrounding the status of her relationship, saying it’s “no one’s business”. She did not deny the reports they had split.
Commenting on the BachieFunny Instagram fan account, which uploaded a picture saying the pair had split up, Angie blamed the unfollowing on a “system glitch”.
“Leave it. If you don’t know, you don’t know,” she wrote.
“Everyone got their happy ending when the show was on. Now it’s no one’s business. It’s my real life. So best people stay out of it unless they know for real what someone is going through.”
Carlin last week addressed why they hadn’t appeared on social media together recently, saying Angie, who moved to Sydney from the Sunshine Coast to be with him in February, was back in Queensland visiting family.
He said the break-up rumours were “silly”.
It is understood the pair don’t live together in Sydney, with Carlin recently moving into his own apartment in Cronulla.
SheSociety is a site for the women of Australia to share our stories, our experiences, shared learnings and opportunities to connect.
Leave a Reply