Derek Chauvin was sentenced in a Minneapolis courtroom with 270 months to serve. With good time, this will be 15 years. This doesn’t even count the time he may face if convicted in a federal courtroom for an additional slue of charges.

Defending somebody at sentencing in a criminal case is a little like threading a needle and is also somewhat counterintuitive. Consider, if you are planning an appeal, what is it that you can admit to? Further, what should your client admit to in the even that they choose to speak. At the same time, there is the balance between trying to say that your client accepts responsibility on the one hand but also a good person on the other hand. If you find resolution short of trial, embrace that bad may actually be the only way forward. However, how do you embrace it?

Jack appears on KGO in San Francisco to discuss the Chauvin verdict and the threading of the sentencing needle. Jack Rice is the founder of Jack Rice Defense, is a former prosecutor and a Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist. If you are being investigator for or have been charged with a crime, call Jack for a free confidential consultation.