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The Minnesota Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd and denied Chauvin’s request for a new trial or reversal of his conviction. In rendering its decision, the court addressed 12 issues and concluded that the Hennepin County District Court had not abused its discretion in any of the ways Chauvin alleged.
One key issue the court addressed was whether Chauvin’s trial was tainted by publicity surrounding the case, creating actual or presumed juror prejudice. Chauvin argued that the trial should have been moved to a different venue, the jury should have been sequestered, or the trial should have been continued. Still, the court found that the district court had taken sufficient mitigating steps and verified that the jurors could set aside their impressions or opinions and deliver a fair and impartial verdict.
Another issue addressed by the court was whether on-duty law enforcement officers are authorized to use force when arresting resisting suspects and thus cannot be convicted of second-degree unintentional felony murder. The court held that “a police officer can be convicted of second-degree unintentional felony murder for causing the death of another by using unreasonable force constituting third-degree assault to effect a lawful arrest.” The court reasoned that while the law allows police officers to use reasonable amounts of force, “Chauvin crossed that line when he used unreasonable force on Floyd.”
The court also concluded that Chauvin was not entitled to a new trial because the alleged errors did not deny him a fair trial. Ultimately, the court affirmed the district court’s conviction of Chauvin.
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Chauvin was convicted of unintentional second-degree felony murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter and was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison for these charges. Chauvin was also sentenced to 21 years for federal civil rights violations.
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The Minnesota Court of Appeals decision comes just weeks after Minneapolis agreed to revamp the city’s police department. The city reached a settlement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights over allegations that the city’s police department engaged in systemic discrimination against people of color. As part of the settlement, the city agreed to implement a series of changes aimed at improving police accountability and reducing the use of excessive force.
The settlement came in the wake of nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd and other Black Americans by police officers. Floyd’s death in May 2020 sparked protests worldwide and renewed calls for police reform and racial justice. The trial and conviction of Derek Chauvin was seen as a significant step towards accountability for police officers who engage in excessive use of force and racial discrimination.
The Minnesota Court of Appeals’ decision to uphold Chauvin’s conviction is likely to be seen as a victory for those calling for police accountability and reform. However, the fight for racial justice and police reform is far from over, and much work must be done to address the systemic racism and discrimination that persists in many aspects of American society.
