A newly reduced prison sentence for a former Minneapolis police officer who was originally convicted of third-degree murder for killing a white woman has prompted speculation about the legal implications it has for Derek Chauvin, who was found guilty of the same charge for killing George Floyd, a Black man.

Mohamed Noor, who was convicted for the 2017 shooting death of Justine Damond, on Thursday had his prison sentence of 12-and-a-half years vacated before he was re-sentenced for second-degree manslaughter to nearly five years in prison, less than half of his original sentence of 12 and a half years. His sentence reduction came more than a month after the Minnesota Supreme Court overturned his prison sentence. The court agreed with the argument from the defense that the prosecution did not prove Noor acted “without regard for human life.”

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Noor’s re-sentencing means that Noor — who has served nearly a year and a half of his original sentence — will now be eligible for release from prison on June 27, 2022, less than a year from now. Had the Minnesota Supreme Court not overturned his conviction, the earliest he’d be eligible for release would have been about in about seven years.

While the circumstances surrounding the murders that netted guilty verdicts for Noor and Chauvin are decidedly different, the charges they were convicted of are very similar, suggesting it’s only a matter of time before Floyd’s killer receives the same legal treatment upheld on Thursday by Hennepin County Judge Kathryn Quaintance.

Source: What Mohamed Noor’s Re-Sentencing Means For Derek Chauvin’s Time In Prison