The former police officer was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd last month
Derek Chauvin's lawyer has filed a motion demanding a new trial.
Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd.
He faces up to 40 years in prison.
The motion which was filed yesterday lists 'jury misconduct' as justification for a new trial.Chauvin's attorney, Eric J. Nelson, argued that his client didn't get a fair trial saying:
'The publicity here was so pervasive and so prejudicial before and during this trial that it amounted to a structural defect in the proceedings'.
The filing comes after photos of one of the jurors at an anti-racism rally surfaced on social media.
One of the jurors who convicted Derek Chauvin of murder answered “no” to questions about attending protests before jury selection. But now it has been revealed he attended a BLM rally last summer led by George Floyd’s family & even wore BLM clothing. https://t.co/66UKHZZRK1
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) May 4, 2021
Source: Twitter (@mrandyngo)
In the photos printed in the DailyMail, Mr Mitchell is wearing a T-shirt with a picture of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr on it, as well as the words 'Get Your Knee Off Our Necks' and the letters 'BLM' for Black Lives Matter.
He is one of only two jurors who have publicly identified themselves since the high-profile trial.
