Derek Chauvin seeks to appeal his 2021 conviction to the US Supreme Court after being found guilty of killing George Floyd
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After failing to make any headway with Minnesota’s highest court, Derek Chauvin plans to head to the U.S. Supreme Court to appeal his 2021 conviction.
On Wednesday (July 19), CNN revealed the former officer’s decision after Minnesota’s top justice system denied Chauvin’s request to hear his petition on Tuesday (July 18). “We will petition the United States Supreme Court via a Writ of Certiorari and ask them to review the lower court’s decision on behalf of Mr. Chauvin,” attorney Gregory M. Erickson said in a statement.
According to the ex-cop’s lawyers, several reasons exist to overturn their client’s conviction. Per the outlet, a state district court allegedly deprived Chauvin of his right to a fair trial when they opposed his request for a venue change, despite “pervasive adverse publicity.” As REVOLT previously mentioned, a Minneapolis jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.
The charges were brought against the fired policeman after civilian footage showed him placing his knee on the neck of George Floyd for over nine minutes in 2020, killing him. He was sentenced to 22 1/2 in prison. Later, Chauvin faced federal charges for violating Floyd’s civil rights. After pleading guilty, he received 21 years behind bars, which will run concurrently with his state sentence. The 46-year-old’s death was one of several that reignited the Black Lives Matter Movement in 2020. Since then, many nationwide have vocally fought for justice as Black and Brown people continue to be the subject of police brutality and racial injustice.
The former officers who were on the scene with Chauvin at the time of Floyd’s death were also sentenced for their involvement. Earlier this year, an investigation by the Justice Department determined that the Minneapolis Police Department has unlawfully discriminated against people of color for years.
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