Derek Chauvin’s Appeal Refused By Supreme Court

Chauvin's lawyers attempted to argue that he didn't receive a fair trial because of the publicity the events received before the trial and a concern for potential violence in the wake of an acquittal.

On Nov. 20, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal brought by Derek Chauvin’s lawyers.

Chauvin’s lawyers sought to appeal their client’s conviction for the 2020 murder of George Floyd. According to the Associated Press, Chauvin was sentenced to serve a 22 1/2-year sentence following his 2021 trial.

The justices chose not to comment on the appeal. Instead, the magistrates rejected hearing the case, leaving the ruling from the State of Minnesota intact.

Chauvin’s lawyers attempted to argue that he didn’t receive a fair trial because of the publicity the events received before the trial and concern for potential violence in the wake of an acquittal. Chauvin is the Minneapolis Police officer who kneeled on George Floyd’s neck for nine and a half minutes for the crime of passing a counterfeit $20 bill. Floyd’s last minutes were captured on video by a bystander where he called out for his mother and said, “I can’t breathe.”

According to CNN, Chauvin was found guilty in April 2021 of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin’s 22 1/2-year sentence exceeded the state sentencing guidelines. Judges generally have the discretion to consider various factors, including whether or not the defendant shows remorse and the nature of the crime. Chauvin also later pleaded guilty to federal charges of depriving George Floyd of his civil rights. He was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison, which will run concurrently with his state charges.

Floyd’s death touched off a firestorm of related protests, attempts to reckon with the racist past of various institutions in America, and created a cottage industry of diversity, inclusion and equity positions at employers in every industry.

Chauvin filed an appeal for his conviction on federal civil rights charges on Nov. 13, claiming that new evidence showed that Floyd’s death occurred because of an underlying medical condition.