Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is appealing his conviction for murder in the death 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 Monday to reverse his conviction, reverse and remand for a new trial in a new venue, or order a resentencing.
Chauvin is serving 22 1/2 years in prison after jurors found him guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Chauvin's attorney, William Mohrman, laid out a number of challenges to his conviction, including that the trial should not have been held in Hennepin County, where Floyd was killed, the Star-Tribune reports.
"The overwhelming media coverage exposed the jurors — literally every day — to news demonizing Chauvin and glorifying Floyd which was more than sufficient to presume prejudice," the brief said.
