Lawyers for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of the death of 46-year-old African American George Floyd, have filed an appeal. The request reads how Chauvin was denied the right to a fair trial and for this reason they are asking for another one.
Floyd trial, flash conviction for former agent Chauvin: “Guilty of murder”
by our correspondent Federico Rampini
The appeal states that Chauvin could not have had a fair trial due to what happened before with the demonstrations and protests led by the Black Lives Matter movement. The court is also accused of having condemned the former agent of abusing his discretion, in particular denying the request for a change of venue of the trial. The latter was held in Minneapolis, the city where Floyd was killed.
Furthermore, the judges are accused of not having been able to isolate the jury given the hostile environment to the accused, thus subjecting the jurors to possible intimidation or fear of reprisals.
Usa, witnesses of the Floyd trial parade A 9-year-old girl: “That policeman didn’t stop”
by our correspondent Anna Lombardi
The sentence for Chauvin is expected in a couple of weeks and the former agent convicted of all three counts of murder faces up to 40 years in prison. On 23 August, the trial of the other three former agents who were with Chauvin and accused of aiding and abetting will start.
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