The Supreme Court declined to review the appeal from Derek Chauvin, the former Minnesota police officer convicted in the killing of George Floyd on Memorial Day 2020.
Chauvin and his legal team contended that his 2021 trial in Minneapolis occurred amid political turmoil, and the jury was influenced by the potential for increased violent unrest if he had been acquitted.
Chauvin’s attorney, William Morhmann, emphasized the extensive pretrial publicity and safety concerns expressed by jurors due to post-Floyd-death riots, leading to heightened security measures during the trial.