The white former Minneapolis police officer convicted last month of the murder of the black man George Floyd has requested a new trial. Derek Chauvin’s legal team have filed court documents alleging misconduct by both prosecutors and jurors.
Chauvin, who was captured on video kneeling on Mr Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, was found guilty of murder and manslaughter. His lawyer says his client was deprived of a fair trial. The rare verdict against a police officer was considered a milestone in the racial history of the US and was widely applauded by Americans. Chauvin faces up to 40 years in prison. He will be sentenced next month. In a document filed to District Court Judge Peter Cahill on Tuesday, Eric Nelson said the ex-officer was deprived of a fair trial, citing alleged prosecutorial and jury misconduct, errors of law at the trial and that the verdict was contrary to law. Chauvin’s conviction on April 20 after a widely watched trial in Minneapolis, Minnesota, had been welcomed by activists as well as US politicians, who said it was an important step forward in the fight for racial justice in the US.
Floyd’s murder on May 25 last year was captured on camera and led to mass protests across the US and around the world, with thousands taking to the streets to demand an end to police violence against Black people.
