Supreme Court Rejects Appeal by Derek Chauvin in George Floyd Case

Washington — The Supreme Court on Monday turned away an appeal by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, leaving in place his conviction for the killing of George Floyd in May 2020.

Chauvin's lawyers had filed a request to the Supreme Court in October, seeking to challenge the decision of a Minnesota trial court. The court had denied Chauvin's requests for a change of venue and to sequester the jury. The former officer argued that keeping the trial in Minneapolis violated his right to a fair trial due to extensive pretrial publicity and the potential for violence and riots if he were acquitted.

In their filing, Chauvin's legal team stated, "Mr. Chauvin's case highlights the significant challenges faced by trial courts in ensuring an impartial jury in exceptional cases." They further argued that the jurors had a personal interest in finding Chauvin guilty to prevent further unrest in their community and potential harm to themselves or their loved ones.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld Chauvin's conviction and denied his request for a new trial in April after his attorney contested the decision by Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill not to change the trial's location from Minneapolis, among other concerns. The state supreme court declined to review that ruling in July, thus affirming Chauvin's conviction and 22 ½-year sentence.

A jury of 12 members from Hennepin County found Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in April 2021 for the death of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man whose killing sparked nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice.

A bystander captured a video of Floyd's fatal encounter with Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020, which showed Chauvin, a White officer, kneeling on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes. Three other police officers involved in the incident were charged and are serving shorter sentences.

In June 2021, Chauvin was sentenced to 22 ½ years in prison. He also pleaded guilty in December 2021 to a federal charge of violating Floyd's civil rights and received a 21-year sentence in federal prison, which is being served concurrently with his state sentence.

Chauvin is currently appealing his conviction on the federal charge, arguing in a recent filing that he would not have pleaded guilty if he had been aware of the opinions of a pathologist based in Kansas who disputes that Floyd died as a result of Chauvin's actions.