Topline
The Supreme Court announced Monday it will not consider the appeal of Derek Chauvin, the Minnesota police officer who was convicted of killing George Floyd and who argued the protests sparked by Floyd’s death made the jury biased against him.
Chauvin was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for killing George Floyd in 2020.
Key Facts
In his appeal, Chauvin claimed his constitutional right to a fair trial was violated.
In announcing they would not take Chauvin’s case, the justices did not provide any further comment on their decision.
Chauvin’s lawyers argued the jurors in the case had an incentive to side against Chauvin to prevent “further rioting” in the community and to avoid potential threats to them or their families, Chauvin’s attorneys said during arguments according to USA Today.
Key Background
A video taken on May 25, 2020, showed Chauvin, who is white, kneeling on the neck of Floyd, who is Black, for nine minutes as Floyd repeatedly said he could not breathe. The video of Chauvin killing Floyd went viral, quickly sparking outrage and nationwide protests over police brutality and racial inequity in the U.S. Chauvin and three other officers faced trial in 2021 for their involvement in Floyd’s death. Chauvin was convicted and sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for murdering Floyd. The Minnesota officer then began appealing the conviction, first to the Minnesota Court of Appeals and then to the Minnesota Supreme Court—both of which denied his request. Over the summer Chauvin took his appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. In all of his appeals, Chauvin’s lawyers have argued the publicity surrounding the case affected the ruling.
Big Number
21 years. That’s how many years Chauvin was sentenced to in July 2022 by the Justice Department for violating Floyd’s civil rights. This sentence runs concurrently with his murder sentence.
Further Reading
Ex-Cop Derek Chauvin Appeals His Murder Conviction In George Floyd Case (Forbes)
