According to reports, newly convicted murderer Derek Chauvin is seeking a new trial, citing that his constitutional rights were compromised multiple times during the initial proceedings.
Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, wrote in the motion that the jury should've been ordered to avoid all media to limit the possibility of prejudicial coverage of his client. “The court abused its discretion when it failed to sequester the jury for the duration of the trial, or in the least, admonish them to avoid all media, which resulted in jury exposure to prejudicial publicity regarding the trial during the proceedings,” Nelson said in the motion, “as well as jury intimidation and potential fear of retribution among jurors, which violated Mr. Chauvin’s constitutional rights to due process and to a fair trial.”
“The Court abused its discretion and violated Mr. Chauvin’s rights under the Confrontation Clause when it failed to order Morries Hall to testify, or in the alternative, to admit into evidence Mr. Hall’s statements to law enforcement regarding his interactions with George Floyd and presence at the May 25, 2020 incident,” the motion continued.
Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in connection with killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020.
Source: cnn.com
