Derek Chauvin seeks new trial by arguing his original prosecution was unlawful
Former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin has filed a petition asking the Minnesota Court of Appeals to pause his current appeal and allow a new trial based on claims that his 2021 murder conviction was procedurally improper.
Derek Chauvin, the ex-Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, has asked the Minnesota Court of Appeals to suspend his ongoing appeal and send the case back to the trial court for a fresh hearing. His lawyers argue that the original prosecution violated due-process rights, citing the governor’s assignment of Attorney General Keith Ellison, the absence of a grand jury, questions about the court’s jurisdiction, and claims of bias as non-waivable structural errors.
The petition seeks a stay of the appeal to permit these new procedural challenges. This request marks Chauvin’s third effort to overturn his conviction after a May 1 denial of an earlier post-conviction petition. The motion was filed on Tuesday and references the earlier conviction in April 2021, where Chauvin was found guilty on all charges.
Why it matters
The filing could reopen legal debates about procedural fairness in high-profile criminal cases.
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