“This was particularly true here when the jurors themselves had a vested interest in finding Mr. Chauvin guilty in order to avoid further riots in the community in which they lived and a possible threat of physical harm to themselves or their families,” it says. the petition. , which was filed last month. “Local media outlets have saturated the community with literally daily coverage regarding Mr. Chauvin. »
The Supreme Court rejected the request without comment. Chauvin’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Neal Katyal, the attorney representing Minnesota, applauded the decision. “We are very pleased that the United States Supreme Court has rejected Derek Chauvin’s appeal,” said Katyal, former acting attorney general of the United States.
Floyd, a Black man, died in May 2020 after Chauvin, a white man, pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. Video captured the scene and Floyd’s breathless pleas, “I can’t breathe,” sparking widespread unrest across the country.
Nearly a year later, a 12-member Hennepin County jury declared Chauvin guilty second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. Chauvin was sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison.
This year, a Minnesota appeals court rejected Chauvin’s motion for a new trial. The Minnesota Court of Appeals rejected Chauvin’s argument that intense media publicity, along with other problems, interfered with his right to a fair trial. The Minnesota Supreme Court in July declined to review the appeals court’s decision.
Chauvin is separately appealing his conviction on federal civil rights charges, declaring this new evidence shows that he did not cause Floyd’s death.
Chauvin, 47, is incarcerated in a federal prison in Tucson.