George Floyd: Former Minneapolis officer Chauvin appeals murder conviction in Floyd killing

The former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, has appealed his murder conviction in George Floyd’s killing.

The former officer who is behind bars for the murder of George Floyd, has appealed his conviction in the Minnesota Supreme Court, arguing that the district judge’s decision against relocating his legal proceedings robbed him of a fair trial.

Chauvin was found guilty in April 2021 of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter in connection with Floyd’s death on Memorial Day the year prior. He was responding at the time to allegations that Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, used a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes at a Minneapolis convenience store.

Bystander video of the violent confrontation shows the ex-officer kneeling down on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, ignoring his desperate pleas for help. The clips were later posted online and almost immediately went viral, sparking widespread backlash and protests against police brutality in Minneapolis and around the country.

His attorney, William Mohrman, on Wednesday filed a petition for review with the state’s highest court, citing a long list of reasons for the appeal, including the attention the case received and its effect on the outcome of Chauvin’s trial. The legal proceedings would have been fairer, he argued, outside and away from the city where the confrontation occurred.

The case presents the state Supreme Court with important questions on “developing and clarifying due process requirements to transfer venue when there is unprecedented pervasive pretrial publicity coupled with community violence,” he wrote.

Mohrman also alleged juror misconduct.

“We’re very hopeful that the Minnesota Supreme Court will accept review of the case,” he said.

Should the Supreme Court agree to hear the appeal, both sides will be required to provide detailed briefs and later set a date for oral arguments.

The filing comes a month after the Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld Chauvin’s conviction in Floyd’s death. He is currently serving a 22½-year prison sentence.