Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter last month
Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of the murder of George Floyd in April, has requested a new trial.
Chauvin’s legal team have now filed documents to the court which allege misconduct on behalf of both the prosecutors and jury members.
The former Minneapolis police officer, who knelt on George Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes in May last year, was found guilty of second degree murder and manslaughter. Chauvin made the decision not to testify during the three-week trial.
However, the defendant’s lawyer says Chauvin did not receive a fair trial.
As reported by US media outlets, it is a common procedure to request a new trial after a criminal conviction.
Eric Nelson, Chauvin’s lawyer, wrote that “the jury committed misconduct, felt threatened or intimidated, felt race-based pressure during the proceedings, and/or failed to adhere to instructions during deliberations, as reported by the New York Times.
Nelson also said in court documents that the entire process was not impartial due to the scope of pre-trial publicity.
In court documents, Nelson says that the judge made errors during the trial and alleges that witness intimidation took place during the process.
Many Americans, including President Biden, welcomed the guilty verdict, and saw it as an important milestone in US history.
This can be a giant step forward in the march toward justice in America. pic.twitter.com/IUjvgxZfaT
— President Biden (@POTUS) April 21, 2021
The human rights advocate Martin Luther King III said that, despite the encouraging verdict, there is still a lot of work to do in the US to tackle systemic racism.
He said on Twitter: “Police brutality stems from a justice system that is deeply rooted in racism. We must continue the work of uprooting the systemic racism in our country.”
Police brutality stems from a justice system that is deeply rooted in racism. We must continue the work of uprooting the systemic racism in our country.
— Martin Luther King III (@OfficialMLK3) April 21, 2021
