Derek Chauvin asks for new trial after murder conviction
May 5, 2021
The request comes just two weeks after the former Minneapolis police officer was convicted of the murder of Black man George Floyd. Chauvin claims he did not receive a fair trial.
Protesters in Minneapolis waiting for a verdict on the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin last month.Image: Kerem Yucel/AFP/ Getty Images
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Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has asked a judge for a new trial, after he was convicted of killing 46-year-old African American man George Floyd last month, court records showed Tuesday.
Chauvin's defense attorney Eric Nelson filed a motion to Hennepin County District Court Judge Peter Cahill, claiming Chauvin did not receive a fair trail.
What did Chauvin's attorney say?
Nelson said the proceedings were affected by pretrial publicity
"The publicity here was so pervasive and so prejudicial before and during this trial that it amounted to a structural defect in the proceedings," Nelson argued in the motion.
Chauvin's lawyer said the jury was not sequestered and alleged the court "abused its discretion" by not changing the venue for the proceedings.
Nelson also accused Minnesota state prosecutors of "prejudicial, pervasive prosecutorial misconduct."
Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney for George Floyd's family, rebuked the motion on Twitter. "No. No. No. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty," Crump tweeted.
The motion comes after a photo was uncovered of one of the jurors wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt during an anti-racism rally last year.
The details of Chauvin's murder conviction
Chauvin was filmed kneeling on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes during an arrest in Minneapolis in May 2020.
Floyd's killing sparked massive protests across the US and launched a nationwide debate on race relations and police brutality in contemporary America.
Chauvin was convicted on the charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter due to his role in Floyd's killing.
Chauvin is now waiting to be sentenced for the charges. Minnesota guidelines recommend about 12.5 years in prison for each murder charge and about four years for each manslaughter charge, but it will be ultimately left up to the judge to decide.
Chauvin's sentencing is slated for June 16.
Three other former Minneapolis officers who directly observed Floyd's killing by Chauvin are expected to go on trial next.
Remembering George Floyd through street art
George Floyd's murder by police officer Derek Chauvin inspired street artists around the world to express their support with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Image: Octavio Jones/REUTERS
A global icon
Former police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd. The Black man's brutal death in May 2020 had sparked a worldwide movement of solidarity that was expressed through protests and art. This mural features George Floyd's face and the words, "I can breathe now," a reference to his last words as Chauvin was kneeling on his neck: "I can't breathe."
Image: Octavio Jones/REUTERS
Many faces, one message
Black Lives Matter: In Minneapolis, George Floyd's murder was followed by violent protests against police brutality toward African Americans. On this wall on Hennepin Avenue, the city commemorates not only George Floyd, but also African Americans Eric Garner, Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice and Philando Castile, who were also killed by police officers.
Image: Mark Hertzberg/ZUMAPRESS/picture alliance
Street art in Gaza
George Floyd became a global figure, depicted in street art around the world. Here in Gaza City, a woman walks past a large mural linking Floyd to the Black Lives Matter movement. Chauvin, the police officer who pressed his knee on Floyd's neck, now faces
up to 40 years in jail after being found guilty on all murder charges.
Street art can also be used to mark a memorial site, as seen here in front of this painting of George Floyd, which was also set up in Minnesota in January 2021. Mourners left flowers and political messages in front of his portrait at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue South, where Floyd died.
Image: Tim Evans/NurPhoto/picture alliance
Black Lives Matter in NYC
A temporary Black Lives Matter mural in Manhattan, New York City, displays names of Black people who have been victims of police violence. The Black Lives Matter protests raged around the country in the summer of 2020, gathering hundreds of thousands of demonstrators.
Image: picture alliance
An inauguration mural
In the US capital, Washington, multiple murals commemorate the Black Lives Matter movement and show the faces of those who have died in connection with police brutality. The use of the patriotic colors, red, white and blue, is particularly striking here.
Image: picture alliance
Remembering the victim
This work of street art featuring George Floyd's face is located in Venezuela, in the town of Valencia. It was commissioned by the city's mayor. The microphone is a reminder that Floyd had also made a name for himself as a rapper.
Image: Juan Carlos Hernandez/ZUMAPRESS/picture alliance
'I can't breathe'
George Floyd died after a police officer pressed his knee on Floyd's neck on May 25, 2020. Throughout the 8-minute, 46-second incident, Floyd stated several times that he could not breathe. His last words were painted onto the artwork in Berlin's Mauerpark.
Image: Alexander Borais/Zoonar/picture alliance
A call for solidarity
In Cologne, Germany's fourth largest city, you can find this painting honoring the political struggle of the Black Lives Matter movement. In many major German cities in the summer of 2020, people took to the streets in solidarity with the BLM movement.
Image: Christoph Hardt/Geisler-Fotopress/picture alliance
