Ex-Mpls. Officer Derek Chauvin Appeals George Floyd Murder Verdict
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis convicted of murder in the death of George Floyd, is appealing last year's guilty verdict, claiming that protests and pretrial publicity intimidated jurors.
The appeal was filed Monday with the Minnesota Court of Appeals, The Associated Press reports. It asks the court to either overturn the conviction, order Chauvin to be resentenced or hold a new trial for him.
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Chauvin was found guilty in June of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in connection with Floyd's death. He was sentenced to nearly 23 years in prison.
Monday's court filing outlines multiple challenges to Chauvin's conviction. That includes the contention that the trial should have been moved out of Hennepin County because of the amount of publicity generated from the incident in Minneapolis, which is located in the county.
"The overwhelming media coverage exposed the jurors—literally every day—to news demonizing Chauvin and glorifying Floyd which was more than sufficient to presume prejudice," the filing stated.
In the months that followed Floyd's killing, protesters took to the streets in Minneapolis and around the country to protest police brutality and racism. Some of that unrest was violent.
According to William Mohrman, Chauvin's lawyer, several potential jurors said during jury selection that they were worried about their safety if the former officer wasn't convicted. Other jurors also said they found the security measures at the courthouse to be intimidating.
The filing also included claims of prosecutorial misconduct and argued that the judge didn't properly apply sentencing guidelines.