Supreme Court rejects appeal of former Minneapolis police officer convicted of killing George Floyd

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has rejected former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin’s appeal of his conviction for second-degree murder in the killing of George Floyd. The justices did not comment Monday in leaving in place state court rulings affirming Chauvin’s conviction and 22 1/2-year sentence. Chauvin’s lawyers argued that their client was denied a fair trial in 2021 because of pretrial publicity and concerns for violence in the event of an acquittal. Floyd, who was Black, died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin, who is white, pressed a knee on his neck for 9 1/2 minutes on the street. Floyd’s death touched off protests worldwide.