MOSCOW, May 5. /TASS/. Former US police officer Derek Chauvin, convicted in George Floyd’s murder case, has filed an appeal for a new trial, NBC reported on Tuesday.
According to the US TV channel, Chauvin’s attorney Eric Nelson filed the request saying that the former officer's ability to have a fair trial was affected by pretrial publicity.
The filing requests to impeach the verdict, because "the jury committed misconduct, felt threatened or intimidated, felt race-based pressure during the proceedings, and/or failed to adhere to instructions during deliberations."
Also, the document says that the pretrial investigation into Chauvin’s case was biased.
The high-profile trial began on March 8. George Floyd, an African-American Minneapolis man, was detained by the police in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020 and died after Chauvin kneeled on his neck and choked him to death while he was being taken into custody. Mass unrest engulfed many US states over the death of Floyd. To counter the riots, local law enforcement was often supported by the US National Guard. Some 40 cities, including New York and Washington, enacted a curfew.
On April 20, Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The second-degree murder is the most serious among those charges, and is punishable with up to 40 years behind bars. The sentencing will take place later, but experts believe that Chauvin’s jail term will range between 12 and 30 years. In accordance with Minnesota laws, an inmate is eligible for parole after serving two thirds of his sentence.