Court Says Derek Chauvin Can't Make Oral Arguments In Appeal Without Hiring Attorney
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minnesota Court of Appeals said Friday that Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, must hire a lawyer before he can make oral arguments in his appeal.
In an order, Judge Matthew Johnson wrote that oral arguments are not be permitted for the ex-officer because he is not represented in his appeal.
"If [Chauvin] later obtains counsel, however, he may file a motion with this court requesting oral argument," the judge wrote.
This development comes just days after the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld the denial of Chauvin's request for a public defender.
When the former officer, who is currently serving a 22-and-a-half year sentence for third-degree murder, filed his appeal last month, he requested "pauper status," which would have exempted him from having to pay court costs and filing fees.
Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill initially denied Chauvin's request. After the Minnesota Appellate Public Defender ruled him ineligible, the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld the denial, saying that Chauvin failed to prove he could not afford a lawyer.
Chauvin was convicted of murdering Floyd on May 25, 2020. The former officer, who is white, knelt on the Black man's neck for nearly 10 minutes, even as widely-seen bystander video showed Floyd pleading for air. The case fueled a national reckoning on racism and police brutality.
In his appeal filing, Chauvin alleges prosecutorial and juror misconduct, as well as judicial indiscretion in the trial, which was perhaps the most widely-followed in Minnesota history.
Three other former Minneapolis police officers were charged in the case. They are accused of aiding and abetting Chauvin. The three, as well as Chauvin, also face federal civil rights charges.
