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In
the appeal filed in Minnesota Court of Appeals on Monday, his
lawyers raised 14 separate issues, including Judge Peter
Cahill's decision to deny Chauvin's request to move the trial
out of Hennepin County, which includes Minneapolis, because of
the intense pretrial publicity.
"The overwhelming media coverage exposed the jurors —literally
every day - to news demonizing Chauvin and glorifying Floyd
which was more than sufficient to presume prejudice," the appeal
said.
Chauvin, a white man, was convicted in April 2021 of killing
Floyd by kneeling on the Black man's neck during a 2020 arrest.
Chauvin was sentenced to 22-1/2 years. In December, Chauvin
pleaded guilty in federal court to charges he violated George
Floyd's civil rights.
A jury found Chauvin guilty of unintentional second-degree
murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in
the death of Floyd. The verdict was widely seen as a landmark
rebuke of the disproportionate use of police force against Black
Americans.
The 82-page appeal asked the court to reverse the conviction and
hold a new trial in a new venue or re-sentence Chauvin.
It also raised legal arguments against prosecutors, accusing
them of misconduct by not disclosing all evidence they had and
belittling the defense during closing arguments. It also said
that prosecutors improperly prepared witnesses for testimony.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison was not immediately
available to comment.
(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
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