The Minnesota Supreme Court has denied former police officer Derek Chauvin’s request for a public defender.
Chauvin has submitted a filing requesting for a public defender to represent him during the appeal of his murder conviction and sentencing for the 2020 killing of George Floyd.
The court ruled that Chauvin was ineligible because he did not meet its financial hardship threshold.
“A defendant is financially unable to obtain counsel if “the defendant, through any combination of liquid assets and current income, would be unable to pay the reasonable costs charged by private counsel” for defense of the matter,” part of the decision reads.
Chauvin claims he owes the Internal Revenue Service about $60,000 and at least $37,000 to the state of Minnesota. He also wrote in his affidavit that he is currently using his “nominal prison wages” to pay off fees from his trial. He says his only other sources of income are his retirement funds.
The court disagreed.
“Having reviewed Chauvin’s request, the information provided regarding his assets and debts, and the OMAPD’s determination, we conclude that Chauvin has not established that he is entitled to appointed representation at this time,” Chief Justice Lorie Gildea wrote.
Chauvin was convicted in April of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death. He was sentenced to 22-and-a-half years in prison. Chauvin waited until the 11th hour to file the appeal with the Minnesota state appellate.
Chauvin alleges the court “abused its discretion” by denying his request to change the trial venue and allow Morries Hall, who was with Floyd on the day of this death, not to testify. In his list of 14 complaints, Chauvin also raises the court’s “alleged failure in allowing the defense to strike “clearly biased jurors during voir dire (jury selection).”
