Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin's appeal of his conviction for the murder of George Floyd in 2020 was declined by the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday. Chauvin had sought for the high court to hear his case after a Minnesota appellate court upheld his conviction and denied a new trial in 2021. He argued that his Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial was violated due to jury and judge bias. Chauvin, a white police officer, was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison for the killing of Floyd, a black man, by applying pressure on Floyd's neck with his knee for over nine minutes during an arrest. The incident was captured on video and went viral on social media, leading to widespread protests against police brutality and racial injustice.

Chauvin's defense claimed that his trial was tainted by negative publicity and that he was unfairly denied a change of location. They argued that the jurors in Minneapolis felt pressured to find him guilty in order to avoid threats of violence against them and their families. In a statement, Chauvin's attorney said, "Mr. Chauvin's case shows the profound difficulties trial courts have to ensure a criminal defendant's right to an impartial jury consistently when extreme cases arise."

In a separate trial, Chauvin pleaded guilty to federal charges that he violated Floyd's civil rights. However, on November 13, he filed a motion attempting to reverse his conviction, asserting that new information had emerged showing that Floyd died from an underlying medical condition.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals also upheld Chauvin's conviction on Monday, rejecting his request for a new trial. The panel of three judges dismissed Chauvin's argument that the judge in his state trial made multiple errors and abused his discretion. Chauvin's defense contended that the judge should have granted their motion to move the trial outside of Minneapolis due to the extensive pre-trial publicity and should have sequestered the jury. They claimed that these measures would have ensured a fair trial.

However, the appeals court disagreed with Chauvin's arguments, stating in a 50-page opinion that the judge did not abuse his discretion. The court wrote that as long as the judge takes sufficient steps to mitigate the impact of pre-trial publicity and verifies that the jurors can deliver a fair and impartial verdict, denying the motions to change location and sequester the jury is justified.

During the trial, a bystander's cellphone video capturing Floyd pleading for his life before becoming unresponsive under Chauvin's knee circulated widely, sparking international outrage. Chauvin's appeal also argued that as an on-duty police officer, he should not have been convicted of second-degree unintentional murder involving third-degree assault because officers are authorized to use force when arresting a resisting suspect. However, the appeals court rejected this argument, stating that the law only permits the use of reasonable force by police officers during a lawful arrest, and Chauvin had crossed that line by using unreasonable force on Floyd.

The jury selection process in Chauvin's trial was meticulous, lasting about two weeks. Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill, Chauvin's defense attorneys, and prosecutors from the state attorney general's office questioned potential jurors before seating the 12-person jury. The most serious state crime for which Chauvin was convicted was second-degree unintentional murder involving third-degree assault.

The denial of Chauvin's appeal by the U.S. Supreme Court solidifies his conviction and sentence of 22 1/2 years in prison. The case continues to be a significant landmark in the ongoing conversation about police accountability and racial justice in the United States.