Supreme Court declines appeal from Derek Chauvin to review conviction in George Floyd murder

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on Monday turned away an appeal from Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of killing George Floyd, who argued that riots in the city biased the jury against him.

Chauvin was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for second-degree and third-degree murder in the 2020 killing of Floyd, which sparked protests and unrest across the nation over police brutality and systemic racism. He appealed to the Supreme Court with an argument that jurors were compelled to side against him to avoid further unrest.

“Mr. Chauvin’s case shows the profound difficulties trial courts have to ensure a criminal defendant’s right to an impartial jury consistently when extreme cases arise,” his attorneys told the court. “This was particularly true here when the jurors themselves had a vested interest in finding Mr. Chauvin guilty in order to avoid further rioting in the community in which they lived and the possible threat of physical harm to them or their families.”

The Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal without explanation.

Chauvin, who is white, pinned Floyd's neck with his knee and ignored his protests that he couldn't breathe, a scene captured by widely viewed witness videos. Floyd was Black.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Supreme Court rejects Derek Chauvin appeal in George Floyd murder case