The lawyer for ex-Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin is requesting a new trial in the death of George Floyd — claiming the guilty verdict was tainted by a threatened and “intimidated” jury.
In papers filed Tuesday in Hennepin County Court, attorney Eric Nelson argues that Chauvin’s murder trial should have been moved to a different city, and said publicity surrounding the trial was “pervasive” and “prejudicial.”
“The court abused its discretion when it failed to sequester the jury for the duration of the trial, or in the least, admonish them to avoid all media, which resulted in jury exposure to prejudicial publicity regarding the trial during the proceedings,” Nelson wrote, “as well as jury intimidation and potential fear of retribution among jurors….”
Nelson also accused prosecutors and Hennepin County District Judge Henry Cahill of “multiple errors in these proceedings,” which he said deprived Chauvin of a fair trial.
The former cop was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s May 25, 2020, death after 10 hours of deliberations.
Floyd’s caught-on-video encounter with Chauvin and three other ex-Minneapolis police officers shows him pinned down for more than nine minutes with Chauvin’s knee on his neck.
