After being found guilty of murder in the killing of George Floyd a year ago, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is appealing his conviction, claiming the jury was intimidated during his trial, among other things.
In a court filing Monday, Chauvin asked the Minnesota Court of Appeals to reverse his conviction handed down last year, reverse and remand for a new trial in a new venue, or order a re-sentencing.
The claim from the former police officer is that he was not given a fair trial due to ongoing and sometimes violent protests and prejudiced by excessive pre-trial publicity.
Chauvin was sentenced to serve 22 ½ years in prison after jurors found him guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.
Chauvin mentioned in his filing the shooting of Daunte Wright by a police officer in a suburb nearby Minneapolis, which ignited more protests during his trial.
He claims that the jury should have been sequestered after selection so that there would not be prejudices after the death of Wright.
Other factors he claimed could have created prejudice with the jury was a $27 million settlement the city of Minneapolis reached with Floyd's family, which was announced during jury selection for his trial.
Floyd's death on May 25, 2020, shocked the world after a video of Chauvin pinning him to the ground under his knee for over 9 minutes circulated online and created a call for social justice and police reform worldwide.
Following his appeal, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, the lead prosecutor in Chauvin's case, has 45 days to respond.
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