MINNEAPOLIS — Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is appealing his conviction for murder in the killing of George Floyd, arguing that jurors were intimidated by the protests that followed and prejudiced by heavy pretrial publicity.
Chauvin asked the Minnesota Court of Appeals in a court filing this week to reverse his conviction, reverse and remand for a new trial in a new venue, or order a resentencing.
Last June, Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill sentenced Chauvin to 22 1/2 years in prison after jurors found him guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Floyd died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin pinned the Black man to the ground with his knee on his neck for 9 minutes, 29 seconds.
Chauvin pleaded guilty to federal charges for violating Floyd's civil rights.
