Derek Chauvin seeks new trial

Derek Chauvin, the officer convicted in the 2020 death of George Floyd, again is seeking a new trial.

Derek Chauvin lawyer files brief

William Mohrman, Chauvin’s attorney, filed an 82-page brief on Monday seeking a new trial. Mohrman argued that Derek Chauvin could not get a fair trial in Minneapolis, by reason of the “tense climate surrounding the proceedings and the pre-trial publicity,” according to Fox News.

Mohrman also argued that members of the jury feared for their safety and that of their loved ones. The death of George Floyd had already caused riots in Minneapolis, and jurors did not want blame for more. Mohrman quoted two specific jurors to make his point:

Juror No. 87 stated that she was “nervous” because this was a high profile case and Minneapolis “blew up after the incident.” Juror 28 stated “the decision the jury makes has maybe broader implications, reactions from the general public,” and “knowing that the people, general public, is paying attention to the decision and more pressure, I guess, to get it right.”

The attorney further argued that the court erred in neither sequestering the jury nor granting a change of venue.

The jury convicted Derek Chauvin in April 2021 of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He pleaded guilty in federal court to a civil-rights violation charge, according to The Western Journal.CNAV has covered that guilty plea earlier.

Three other officers with Derek Chauvin at the time – Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng – still await trial. But all three already have federal civil-rights convictions for failing to stop Chauvin or to provide medical assistance to Floyd.

Further support

Mohrman has further support for a new trial, because one man pleaded guilty last year of trying to kill Mohrman’s predecessor, Eric Nelson.

CNAV contributor Darrell L. Castle faulted media coverage and politicians both local and national. Americans, he argued were “seeing two different movies” about the case. He also faulted Nelson for not letting Derek Chauvin testify in his own defense. By that failure, Nelson failed to controvert the key factual accusations against Chauvin.

But Castle reserved his harshest criticism for Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif), for “urg[ing] more violent confrontation and a guilty verdict.” That should have provoked a mistrial – and Judge Peter Cahill came close to acknowledging that very fact.

Chauvin is serving a 22½ year sentence in the death of Floyd.

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