Minnesota prosecutors want a judge to reject a bid by convicted ex-police officer Derek Chauvin to get a new trial for the May 25, 2020, killing of George Floyd, saying the defense is trying to "undo" what's already been proven and decided by a jury.
In a court document filed in Hennepin County District Court on Wednesday, prosecutors answered defense requests for a new trial and a hearing to question jurors about alleged misconduct.
Defense attorney Eric Nelson argued intense pretrial publicity, alleged prosecutorial misconduct and some decisions by the court made it impossible for Chauvin to get a fair trial.
Prosecutors dismissed the claim, saying Chauvin’s team was desperate to ''undo the jury’s verdict.''
''Defendant was unanimously convicted on all three counts based on evidence of his overwhelming guilt,'' the prosecutors wrote in the papers filed in court.
''He now seeks to escape his lawful conviction by any means.''
There was no immediate ruling by Judge Peter Cahill.
Chauvin was convicted in April of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter for the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was pinned to the ground for about 9 ½ minutes while he said he couldn’t breathe.
Viral footage showed Chauvin pressing his knee on Floyd’s neck until he stoped moving outside a Minneapolis convenience store where Floyd allegedly passed a counterfeit $20 bill.
The case sparked worldwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice and became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Chauvin will be sentenced June 25. Prosecutors are seeking a 30-year sentence.
Earlier this month, Chauvin’s lawyers wanted the judge to sentence Chauvin to probation, arguing he was the victim of a ''broken system.''
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Fran Beyer ✉
Fran Beyer is a writer with Newsmax and covers national politics.
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