[Svartalfiar]

charging Derek Chauvin with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

I still don't understand this. How is he getting three different charges for the same thing? He didn't kill three people, he had one guy die under him. There should only be one set of charges for that!

That said, I don't see how any of the charges will stick. He has a pretty solid defense methinks. The only charges I could possibly see being legit (for all the cops present) would be a failure to render aid after the dude stopped moving, but that's about it.

[jimfree]

Different crimes of different severity are often pled in criminal cases. Might be the required procedure of the jurisdiction.

As the elements of the lesser charges are included in the greater charges, one cannot be convicted of both. Should the charges stand through trial, jurors will be instructed to consider them in order from the top down. If you find that the evidence supports x, y, z, a, b, and c, then find murder 1. If not consider elements x, y, z, c, and d, that support murder 2, etc. You may have heard the term “lesser included offenses” - armed robbery includes the elements of armed assault. A defendant will not ordinarily be convicted of both for the same act.