ANYONE who has been following the evidence in the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd would have been hard pressed to avoid the same conclusion as the jury in the courthouse in Minnesota.

Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter, ensuring that when he returns for sentencing, he will be facing a very long time in jail.

The triple verdict needs to be explained. The most serious charge is second-degree murder which is an assault that plays a substantial part in causing death, even if the killing is unintentional – this conviction carries a maximum penalty of 40 years.

Third-degree murder is defined as recklessly showing disregard for human life while “perpetrating an act eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind”. It carries a maximum penalty of 25 years.

Manslaughter in the second degree involves “culpable negligence whereby the person creates an unreasonable risk, and consciously takes chances of causing death or great bodily harm”. This conviction carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill will consider all the options before sentencing Chauvin in about eight weeks’ time. If he decides to make the sentences consecutive instead of concurrent – and he has that power – Chauvin could be sentenced to 75 years in jail. As a first offender the sentence is likely to be much less – the guidelines say 12 years – but the judge will be well aware that the eyes of the world will be upon him.

Most legal experts in the USA were predicting a 20-to-30-year sentence, as the prosecution is citing the ­“aggravating factors” in the killing of Floyd.

The prosecution was taking no chances, reasoning that the jury could throw out the bigger charges and still get a conviction of manslaughter. Instead, the jury chose to believe that Chauvin was the “causal factor”, as American law states, in the murder of Floyd.

READ MORE: Biden hails 'giant step forward in the march toward justice' after Chauvin conviction

One of the biggest turning points in the case was when Chauvin “pleaded the Fifth”, invoking his constitutional rights under the Fifth Amendment not to take the stand in case he incriminated himself. To most observers his case was doomed from then.

The defence called expert witnesses who said Floyd’s death was the result of his health issues and that Chauvin had used reasonable force. The fact that the officer knelt on Floyd for more than nine minutes carried great weight with the jury, as did the testimony of Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo that Chauvin’s technique was “in no way, shape or form anything that is by policy. It is not part of our training, and it is certainly not part of our ethics or our values”. He also said Chauvin violated policies on de-escalation, objectively reasonable use of force and a requirement to render aid.

Arradondo’s strong testimony cut no ice with the US Department of Justice (DoJ). Attorney general Merrick Garland yesterday ordered a comprehensive review of the Minneapolis Police Department.

It will examine all policies and “whether its treatment of those with behavioural health disabilities is unlawful”, while looking at the “effectiveness of current systems of accountability and whether other mechanisms are needed to ensure constitutional and lawful policing”. If the DoJ finds fault, Garland could then take a civil lawsuit against the police department.

Chauvin will certainly appeal against his conviction and has reasonable grounds to do so – despite the extraordinary publicity about the case, the judge refused to move the trial out of town, he did not isolate the jury, and Cahill himself was then furious after Representative Maxine Waters of California demanded a guilty verdict.

President Joe Biden weighed in as well, saying the evidence was overwhelming, but the most objectionable thing of all was the announcement that Minneapolis had settled with the Floyd family for $27 million just before the trial started.

Chauvin is now in maximum security prison on round-the-clock suicide watch. While some had hoped that him going to prison would lessen racial tensions in the USA, any chance of that evaporated on Tuesday evening when police in Columbus, Ohio, shot dead a black teenage girl outside her foster home.

However, the circumstances of Ma’Khia Bryant are vastly different from the murder of Floyd as she was threatening two girls with a knife. Her relatives have already accused the police of being trigger happy.

Biden says the conviction is a giant step forward for the USA. More like a tiptoe, because this case and its ramifications have a long way to play out.