Derek Chauvin is appealing George Floyd’s murder conviction – a trial that resulted in a 22-year sentence was not fair

KILLER police officer Derek Chauvin has appealed his three convictions in connection with the 2020 murder of George Floyd, arguing he did not receive a fair trial.

Floyd died on May 25, 2020 after Chauvin pinned him to the ground with his knee on Floyd’s neck for almost 10 minutes, in a case that sparked protests across the country at police brutality.

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An attorney for Chauvin appeared on his behalf in a Minnesota appeals court on Wednesday, arguing against his client’s conviction last April.

The former Minneapolis police officer had previously been sentenced to 22 years and six months in prison after a jury found him on March 25, 2020.

Chauvin then pleaded guilty in a separate federal civil rights case and was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison, which he is now serving concurrently with his Arizona state sentence.

William Mohrman, Chauvin’s attorney, told the Minnesota Court of Appeals that “legal and procedural errors” prevented Chauvin from having a fair trial.

Mohrman also reportedly said that publicity during Chauvin’s original pretrial was greater than at any other in the state’s history.

Therefore, the attorney said the judge should have moved the trial to another venue and seized the jury for its duration.

The attorney also listed several other reasons that he believed interfered with a fair trial for Chauvin.

Aside from the pre-trial public, Mohrman said the riots at the time, Minneapolis’ $27 million agreement with Floyd’s family, which was announced during jury selection, public unrest over the killing by law enforcement in the suburbs of the City and the extensive security of the courthouse would have helped.

In addition, Mohrman accused Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill of ruling out evidence in favor of Chauvin and prosecutors Assistant Attorney General Matthew Frank and Neal Katyal of misconduct.

However, Frank and Katyal have argued, noting that Chauvin’s rights were not compromised at the trial.

In short, they said pre-trial publicity was adamant across the state of Minnesota, so Mohrman’s argument that the location should have been moved is unjustified.

Appeals Judge Peter Reyes said Wednesday the court would rule within 90 days. Chauvin did not attend the hearings.