INSIDE: Murder and manslaughter verdicts are not mutually exclusive, a law professor at Chapman University says.

The three guilty verdicts against former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin indicate the jury believed he caused the death of George Floyd not intentionally, but with negligence and reckless disregard.

Though Chauvin was not accused of purposely killing Floyd by kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes last May, the now ex-officer’s actions still may land him in prison for decades, said Mario Mainero, a professor at the Dale E. Fowler law school at Chapman University in Orange.

Mainero explained how

Chauvin could be simultaneously guilty of murder and manslaughter, according to Minnesota statutes. The charges are not mutually exclusive, he said.

First, the jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder while not intending to kill Floyd, but intending to commit felony assault, Mainero said.

The next charge was third-degree murder with reckless disregard, meaning Chauvin had to know that putting his weight on Floyd’s neck could cause death, but he didn’t care, Mainero said.

Last, Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter with gross negligence. Again, there was no intent to kill, but Chauvin’s actions were done with a high degree of negligence, causing a danger to Floyd’s safety, Mainero said.

The charges carry penalties of 40, 25 and 10 years in prison, although they will probably be lowered by Minnesota sentencing guidelines, according to published reports.