As Derek Chauvin asks state to reconsider conviction in George Floyd murder, Elon Musk says: Facts show that he was …
Derek Chauvin has requested to challenge his conviction in the murder of George Floyd. The former Minneapolis police officer has asked a Minnesota appeals court to pause his current appeal while he pursues new claims about how his case was prosecuted. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has also supported Chauvin’s bid to overturn the conviction.In a post shared on the microblogging site X (formerly Twitter), Musk wrote, “Derek Chauvin was unjustly convicted of murder, therefore he should be freed. The facts show that he was not the cause of death, nor did he at any time intend for a death to occur. Whatever else he may be, he is not a murderer. That is the truth.” Chauvin’s attorneys are seeking to send the case back to the trial court to raise claims including that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz unlawfully assigned Attorney General Keith Ellison to prosecute the case.
Derek Chauvin asks court to pause current appeal
According to a report by the New York Post, Chauvin’s attorneys filed the latest motion this week, asking the Minnesota Court of Appeals to stay his pending appeal. The request would allow his case to return to the local trial court so his defence can present a new claim that his original charges were unlawfully brought.According to the motion, Chauvin’s legal team argues that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz unlawfully assigned Attorney General Keith Ellison to prosecute the case. The filing describes this and other alleged procedural violations as “structural errors” that, according to the defence, cannot be waived.The claims include improper prosecutor assignment, failure to convene a grand jury, lack of court jurisdiction and judicial bias.
Derek Chauvin’s previous conviction relief petition
The latest filing is Chauvin’s third petition seeking post-conviction relief. His defence previously appealed a judge’s decision denying an earlier petition.The judge rejected Chauvin’s entire post-conviction petition on May 1, more than five months after it was filed in November 2025. Chauvin’s legal team then filed an appeal in June challenging that decision.The current motion seeks to pause that appeal while the trial court considers the newly raised procedural claims.
George Floyd murder conviction
Chauvin was convicted in April 2021 in connection with Floyd’s death in 2020. Records cited in the case state that Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds while Floyd was face down and handcuffed on the ground.Floyd suffered a fatal lack of oxygen to the brain, according to the records provided. Chauvin’s conviction and subsequent efforts to obtain post-conviction relief have continued through multiple court filings.Musk’s comments on X came as Chauvin’s attorneys sought to have the latest procedural claims considered by the state court system. The court will determine whether to stay the pending appeal to allow the trial court to consider those claims.
