Derek Chauvin again seeking to have federal conviction overturned
A booking photo for former officer Derek Chauvin.
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is serving prison time for murdering George Floyd and violating Floyd’s civil rights, is again trying to have his federal conviction and sentence vacated.
Chauvin filed the motion Monday in federal court, arguing that his now-former attorney, Eric Nelson, didn’t tell him that a forensic pathologist from Kansas had reached out and offered to testify that Chauvin’s actions didn’t kill Floyd.
Chauvin pleaded guilty to violating Floyd’s civil rights in July 2022, but says in the new filing that he wouldn’t have pleaded guilty if he would’ve known about the conclusions of the forensic pathologist, William Schaetzel.
He adds in the filing that “No reasonable juror would have convicted” him if they would’ve heard the forensic pathologist’s testimony.
The motion requests a new trial or, at least, an evidentiary hearing.
Nelson filed to withdraw from representing Chauvin in August. 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reached out to him Tuesday for comment on Chauvin’s latest filing and will update this story if a response is received.
Chauvin is currently serving a 21-year sentence at a federal prison in Arizona.
Minnesota’s Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of Chauvin’s 22½-year state sentence back in July. He’s still waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide if it’ll hear his appeal on that.