Former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin’s appeal for another trial was rejected on Monday, the news coming after he was sentenced to over 20 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd.
The Minnesota Court of Appeals made the decision regarding the request for a trial to occur outside Hennepin County, the Star Tribune reported:
The decision comes nearly three years since George Floyd’s murder in May 2020, when Chauvin knelt on the Black man’s neck for more than nine minutes. Chauvin’s appellate attorney William Mohrman argued that pretrial publicity — the global unrest, media coverage and calls for police reform — made a fair trial impossible.
Riots erupted in dozens of cities across the nation after Floyd’s death and many of the incidents turned into looting and other violent acts, NBC News reported in May 2020.
Aerial video footage shows police cruisers that were set on fire and looters trashing businesses:
According to the Tribune, “a three-judge panel issued a unanimous 50-page decision stating that Chauvin failed to show prejudice among jurors or in the publicity surrounding his trial. Presiding Judge Peter Reyes wrote the decision considered by him and judges Elise Larson and Roger Klaphake.”
In June 2021, Chauvin was sentenced to 22 1/2 years behind bars for Floyd’s murder, according to the Associated Press (AP).
“With good behavior, Chauvin, 45, could be paroled after serving two-thirds of his sentence, or about 15 years,” the outlet said.
Meanwhile, Mohrman expressed disappointment in the recent decision, saying they would consult with Chauvin regarding more options which included asking the state’s Supreme Court to review the case.
But if Chauvin, who is now 47-years-old, had won his appeal he would still remain behind bars for 21 years after pleading guilty to violating Floyd’s civil rights.
Chauvin recently pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges and his ex-wife also pleaded guilty to similar charges.
The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in October 2021 Chauvin would have to foot the bill for his own attorney when appealing his murder conviction and sentence, according to Breitbart News.
“Last month, when Chauvin filed his appeal to overturn previous convictions of second and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, documents reveal that he filed for a pauper status, claiming he was $142,000 in debt and in need of a public defender,” the report outlined.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.