“This was particularly true here when the jurors themselves had a vested interest in finding Mr. Chauvin guilty to prevent further unrest in the community in which they lived and the possible threat of physical harm to themselves or their families,” states the petition. , which was presented last month. “The local media saturated the community with literally daily coverage of Mr. Chauvin.”
The Supreme Court denied the request without comment. Chauvin’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Neal Katyal, the attorney representing Minnesota, applauded the decision. “We are very pleased that the United States Supreme Court rejected Derek Chauvin’s appeal,” said Katyal, former acting attorney general of the United States.
Floyd, a Black man, died in May 2020 after Chauvin, a white man, pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. Video captured the scene and Floyd’s gasping pleas, “I can’t breathe,” sparking widespread unrest across the country.
Nearly a year later, a 12-member Hennepin County jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Chauvin was sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison.
This year, a Minnesota appeals court rejected Chauvin’s request for a new trial. The Minnesota Court of Appeals rejected Chauvin’s argument that intense media publicity, along with other issues, had hindered his right to a fair trial. In July, the Minnesota Supreme Court declined to review the appeals court decision.
Chauvin is separately appealing his conviction on federal civil rights charges, claiming new evidence shows he did not cause Floyd’s death.
Chauvin, 47, is imprisoned in a federal prison in Tucson.
