Derek Chauvin appeals murder conviction in George Floyd case because ‘he was denied fair trial’

Derek Chauvin has asked the Minnesota Appeals Court to toss out his murder conviction for George Floyd’s death, claiming he was denied a fair trial. 

Chauvin’s attorney, William Mohrman, argued Wednesday that because video and reports of Floyd’s death were so widely publicized, kicking off nationwide protests, the jury was essentially ‘poisoned.’ 

‘You can’t hold a trial in a community where the jurors are looking at the possibility of a riot in the event the jury acquits the defendant,’ Mohrman said.   

The defense is also demanding that the court assign a new venue for a new trial.

Chauvin was sentenced to 22- and-a-half-years in prison for the murder of Floyd, and last July, he was given another 21 years on federal charges of civil rights violations.