MINNEAPOLIS — *EDITOR'S NOTE: The above video first aired Sept. 24, 2021.
The Minnesota Supreme Court has denied former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin's request for a public defender to represent him in his request to appeal his conviction and sentence in George Floyd's murder.
Chauvin was convicted earlier this year on state charges of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree murder and third-degree murder in Floyd's death. He was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison and is currently being held in Minnesota's only maximum security prison, Oak Park Heights.
Last month, Chauvin filed an intent to appeal his conviction and sentence. According to court documents, Chauvin claimed he doesn't have the money to retain private counsel for the appeal, but on Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled that Chauvin "has not established that he is entitled to appointed representation at this time."
During trial, Chauvin's defense attorney was Eric Nelson. Nelson's law firm partner, Marsh Halberg of Halberg Criminal Defense, confirmed back in September that "Mr. Nelson does not represent Mr. Chauvin on the state appeal at this time."
Chauvin and the three other ex-Minneapolis police officers charged in Floyd's death are all also charged with federal civil rights offenses.
On Sept. 14, Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng appeared before a federal judge and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The federal indictment alleges Chauvin, who was a Minneapolis police officer at the time, violated Floyd's right to be free from unreasonable seizure and unreasonable force by police.
Thao and Kueng are charged with violating Floyd's right to be free from reasonable seizure and for not intervening or stopping Chauvin when he knelt on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes.
All four of the former officers are charged for their failure to provide medical care for George Floyd on May 25, 2020.
Thao, Kueng and Lane still face state charges of aiding and abetting both murder and manslaughter for their alleged involvement in Floyd's murder. Their trial is set for March 2022.