Could George Floyd case go to SCOTUS? Chauvin to take significant legal action after verdict.
Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin to Appeal Conviction for George Floyd’s Murder to U.S. Supreme Court
Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin is set to take his case to the U.S. Supreme Court after the Minnesota Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal, according to his attorney. Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder in the killing of George Floyd and is currently serving a 22 1/2-year sentence.
The denial of Chauvin’s petition by the state’s highest court means that his conviction and sentence will stand. However, his chances of success at the U.S. Supreme Court are slim, as the court only reviews a small fraction of the thousands of cases it is asked to consider each year.
George Floyd, a black man, tragically died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin, a white police officer, knelt on his neck for 9 1/2 minutes during an arrest. The incident, captured on video by a bystander, sparked widespread protests against police brutality and racism.
Chauvin’s attorney, William Mohrmann, expressed disappointment with the Minnesota Supreme Court’s decision and highlighted the issue of pretrial publicity and concerns for violence as grounds for appeal. He argued that holding the trial in Minneapolis in 2021 deprived Chauvin of a fair trial. Mohrmann plans to raise this issue with the U.S. Supreme Court.
Mohrmann emphasized the significant pretrial publicity surrounding the case, as well as the riots that occurred after Floyd’s death, which led the jurors to express concerns for their safety in the event of an acquittal. He pointed to the extensive security measures, such as barbed wire and National Guard troops, implemented during the trial as evidence of these safety concerns.
In May, Mohrmann requested the Minnesota Supreme Court to hear the case after the Minnesota Court of Appeals rejected his arguments for a fair trial. The Minnesota attorney general’s office responded by urging the Supreme Court to uphold the previous ruling.
Chauvin also pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights charge and received a 21-year sentence, which he is serving concurrently with his state sentence in Arizona. Three other former officers involved in the case are serving shorter state and/or federal sentences. Only Tou Thao, who restrained the concerned crowd, is awaiting sentencing in state court.
Despite the legal challenges ahead, Chauvin’s conviction stands as a significant milestone in the ongoing fight against police brutality and racial injustice.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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