#Roommates, last month Derek Chauvin formally filed an appeal for his murder conviction for the May 2020 death of George Floyd—and the court has now denied a crucial request in his goal to get his verdict appealed. According to new reports, the Minnesota Supreme Court has officially denied Derek Chauvin’s request for a public defender in his appeal for his April conviction for murdering George Floyd.
@HuffPost reports, based on newly released court documents, Derek Chauvin will not be granted a public defender in his appeal for the murder of George Floyd, as the Minnesota Supreme Court determined he is ineligible to receive one because he did not demonstrate financial hardship. Last month, Chauvin claimed that he doesn’t have enough money to pay for legal representation to represent him in his appeal—citing that he allegedly owes $60,000 to the Internal Revenue Service and another $37,000 to the state of Minnesota.
In his initial request for a public defender, Chauvin explained that his only current financial assets are two retirement accounts and he is also using the “nominal prison wages” he earns to pay the fees accrued in his initial murder trial. You’ll recall that also back in September he was hit with multiple tax evasion charges. Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea explained her decision to deny Chauvin, writing “Having reviewed Chauvin’s request, the information provided regarding his assets and debts, and the OMAPD’s determination, we conclude that Chauvin has not established that he is entitled to appointed representation at this time.”
Chief Justice Gildea also noted that Chauvin would be granted legal representation if at any point during the appeal proceedings he was unable to pay for a private attorney.
Derek Chauvin’s financial burden in his initial murder trial was handled by the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association’s legal defense fund, which paid for his defense. However, once he was officially convicted of murdering George Floyd the police union was no longer obligated to cover his legal fees.
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