Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is seeking a new trial after being found guilty of murdering George Floyd.
Eric Nelson, the attorney representing Chauvin, says that his client deserves a new trial. On Tuesday, he filed court documents requesting that the jury verdict be thrown out. In the docs, Nelson cited several errors, one of which being the court denying a change of venue for the trial.
Judge Cahill, who presides over Chauvin’s murder trial, previously stated that Congresswoman Maxine Waters might have given Chauvin the fuel to appeal by encouraging people to protest if he wasn’t found guilty. Many viewed her comments as an incitement of violence. During his closing argument, Nelson said Waters’ comments likely influenced the jury. However, Cahill told Nelson that he was confident the jurors followed his directive to avoid media surrounding the case.
Chauvin was found guilty of 2nd-degree murder for the May 2020 killing that sparked international protests. He faces a maximum of 40 years in prison. Chauvin will be sentenced in June.
