Travis County's Democratic DA, who was elected months after the protests and ran on promises to hold police accountable in Austin, said his office would still move forward with prosecuting four other officers.
“We will continue to try to ascertain what additional measures are being made to protect Derek and will pursue any avenues available under the law to ensure his continued safety,” Chauvin’s attorney said.
In his latest motion, Chauvin said he never would have pleaded guilty to violating Floyd’s federal civil rights had he known about the theories of a Kansas pathologist with whom he began corresponding in February.
In opening statements in the joint trial of a current and a former police officer in Aurora, Colorado, defense attorneys said the two followed department protocol.
The Minnesota Supreme Court denied Chauvin’s petition, letting his conviction and 22 ½-year sentence stand. He faces long odds at the U.S. Supreme Court.