In a latest legal maneuver, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is fervently seeking to overturn his federal civil rights conviction related to the 2020 murder of George Floyd.
Derek Chauvin, currently serving a 21-year sentence in an Arizona federal prison, appeared in court on Wednesday to present what he contends is compelling new evidence challenging the basis of his conviction
In a motion filed this Monday, Derek Chauvin asserts that undisclosed information from a Kansas pathologist, Dr. William Schaetzel, casts doubt on his culpability in Floyd‘s death. Derek Chauvin claims he would not have pleaded guilty in 2021 had he been aware of Dr. Schaetzel’s theories, communicated to him in February. Dr. Schaetzel, based in Topeka, Kansas, reportedly opines that Floyd succumbed to complications arising from a rare tumor known as a paraganglioma, capable of triggering a lethal surge of adrenaline. Notably, Dr. Schaetzel did not physically examine Floyd’s body but relied on autopsy reports.
Derek Chauvin, acting without legal representation, is urging the trial judge to annul his civil rights conviction, calling for a fresh trial or, at the very least, a hearing to present this purportedly exculpatory evidence
He contends that had the jury been privy to Dr. Schaetzel’s insights, his conviction would not have occurred. Despite previous rejections by a federal appeals court, Derek Chauvin remains optimistic, awaiting a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court on whether they will hear his appeal challenging his state court murder conviction.