Former Minneapolis policeman, Derek Chauvin has appealed his conviction for the murder of George Floyd, citing 14 complaints related to his trial earlier this year.
The former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murder in George Floyd’s death is appealing his conviction and sentence, saying the judge abused his discretion or erred during several key points in the case.
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In court documents on Thursday, Derek Chauvin said he planned to appeal on 14 grounds. Among them, he claims Judge Peter Cahill abused his discretion when he denied Chauvin’s request to move the trial out of Hennepin County due to pretrial publicity.
He also claimed the judge abused his discretion when he denied a request to sequester the jury for the duration of the trial, and when he denied requests to postpone the trial or grant a new one.
The death of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, in May 2020 sparked America’s biggest demonstrations for racial justice in decades.
Chauvin, who in June was sentenced to more than 22 years in prison for killing Floyd by kneeling on his neck for nearly 10 minutes, appealed the conviction Thursday night with a Minnesota district court, on the last day he was able to do so.
Chauvin had 90 days from his sentencing to file notice that he intends to appeal.
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He accuses the state of prejudicial misconduct and lists multiple issues with the jury selected for the trial, among other objections.
The former police officer, a 45-year-old white man, was captured on video kneeling on Floyd’s neck, indifferent to the dying man’s groans and to the pleas of distraught passers-by.
The scene, filmed and uploaded by a young woman, quickly went viral. Hundreds of thousands of people subsequently poured onto streets across the country and overseas to demand an end to racism and police brutality.
The ex-cop and three of his colleagues arrested Floyd on suspicion of having passed a fake $20 bill in a store in Minneapolis, a northern city of around 400,000 people. They handcuffed him and pinned him to the ground in the street.
A jury took less than 10 hours in April to convict Chauvin of Floyd’s murder at the end of a high-profile trial. He was found guilty on all three charges — second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.
Chauvin’s conviction was greeted with relief across the country. Many had feared an acquittal would lead to worse unrest, while others worried that once again a white police officer would get away with what they saw as murder.
Reacting to the ruling, Floyd family’s lawyer called the sentencing a “historic” step towards racial reconciliation in the United States.
The other three police officers are to face state charges next year for their roles in Floyd’s death.
Chauvin has now said he would represent himself in the appeal, according to FOX News, because he was denied a public defender. He is also asking the Minnesota Supreme Court to review that decision, WCCO reports.
He had a record of using excessive force before the unarmed Floyd died under his knee.
Via AFP.
