A jury convicted Derek Chauvin of murder for the death of George Floyd but his attorney is requesting that the verdict gets tossed. Per CNN, Eric Nelson, attorney for Chauvin, filed a motion for a re-trial on claims that there were errors made amongst the jury and in their decision to convict the former Minneapolis police officer.
Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office via Getty Images
Nelson’s motion listed factors such as “abuse of discretion that deprived the Defendant of a fair trial” and “a verdict that is contrary to law,” among others. Nelson also stated that there were errors made by the judge, intimidation of witnesses, misconduct among prosecutors, and an overwhelming amount of publicity that would make the outcome unfair. “The publicity here was so pervasive and so prejudicial before and during this trial that it amounted to a structural defect in the proceedings,” Nelson wrote.
Nelson elaborated on claims of the court had “abused its discretion by not granting the defense’s request to change venues to sequester the jury. As for prosecutors committing misconduct, Nelson said it was “including but not limited to: disparaging the Defense; improper vouching; and failing to adequately prepare its witnesses.”
During his final statement, Nelson requested a mistrial. The judge denied the motion but added that there would be grounds to appeal. We’ll keep you posted on any more updates surrounding the trial.