Supreme Court rejects Derek Chauvin’s appeal in George Floyd’s killing

Credit: Court TV via AP, Pool, File

(EEW) - On Monday, the United States Supreme Court declined a plea from Derek Chauvin, an ex-police officer from Minnesota who was previously held culpable for George Floyd's death in 2020.

In April 2021, Chauvin was declared guilty of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter, all pertaining to Floyd's demise. His sentence was set at 22-and-a-half years in prison, surpassing the Minnesota guideline range of 10 years and eight months up to 15 years.

Chauvin further admitted to federal accusations of infringing upon Floyd's civil rights, resulting in an additional 21-year prison sentence, to be served concurrently with his state sentence.

Artist Kenny Altidor unveiled this Brooklyn mural of George Floyd in July 2020. Photo by Stephanie Keith / Getty Images

The incident of Floyd's death, which occurred while under police restraint on a Minneapolis street, was captured on video. It sparked extensive protests both locally and nationwide, highlighting issues of police violence and racial inequality.

In his plea against the conviction, Chauvin alleged that his trial was unjust, suggesting that the jurors may have been biased against acquittal to prevent further street protests and potential chaos.

Chauvin's legal team had put forth multiple grounds for the reversal of his conviction, including the argument that the state district court had deprived the ex-officer of his right to an unbiased trial. They claimed this was due to the court's refusal to change the trial's location in spite of the extensive negative publicity.

However, the Supreme Court dismissed Chauvin's plea without any comment or recorded vote.

For further comments, EEW has attempted to reach out to Chauvin's lawyer, Floyd's family attorney Ben Crump, as well as Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.

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