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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 20 July 2023

Ex-officer to ask Supreme Court to review his conviction in murder

of George Floyd

By STEVE KARNOWSKI ter George Floyd’s death
Associated Press (and) led the jurors to all
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — For- express concerns for their
mer Minneapolis police safety in the event they ac-
Officer Derek Chauvin will quitted Mr. Chauvin safety
ask the U.S. Supreme Court concerns which were fully
to review his conviction for evidenced by surrounding
second-degree murder in the courthouse in barbed
the killing of George Floyd, wire and National Guard
now that the Minnesota Su- troops during the trial and
preme Court has declined deploying the National
to hear the case, his attor- Guard throughout Minne-
ney said Wednesday. apolis prior to jury delibera-
The state’s highest court tions.”
without comment de- Mohrmann asked the Min-
nied Chauvin’s petition in nesota Supreme Court in
a one-page order dated May to hear the case af-
Tuesday, letting Chauvin’s ter the Minnesota Court of
conviction and 22 1/2-year Appeals in April rejected
sentence stand. Chauvin his arguments that he had
faces long odds at the been denied a fair trial. The
U.S. Supreme Court, which Minnesota attorney gen-
hears only about 100 to 150 eral’s office, in a response
appeals of the more than last month, asked the Su-
7,000 cases it is asked to re- In this image taken from video, former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin addresses the preme Court to let that rul-
court at the Hennepin County Courthouse, June 25, 2021, in Minneapolis.
view every year. Associated Press ing stand instead.
Floyd, who was Black, “Petitioner received a fair
died on May 25, 2020, af- Floyd’s death touched off “obviously disappointed” event of an acquittal. He trial, and received the ben-
ter Chauvin, who is white, protests worldwide, some in the decision. He said the said they will now raise that efit of a fulsome appellate
pressed a knee on his neck of which turned violent, most significant issue on issue with the U.S. Supreme review,” prosecutors wrote
for 9 1/2 minutes on the and forced a national reck- which they appealed was Court. at the time. “It is time to
street outside a conve- oning with police brutality whether holding the pro- “This criminal trial gener- bring this case to a close.”
nience store where Floyd and racism that is still play- ceedings in Minneapolis in ated the most amount The attorney general’s of-
tried to pass a counterfeit ing out. 2021 deprived Chauvin of of pretrial publicity in his- fice did not immediately
$20 bill. A bystander video Chauvin’s attorney, William his right to a fair trial due to tory,” Morhmann said. reply to a request for com-
captured Floyd’s fading Mohrmann, told The Asso- pretrial publicity and con- “More concerning are the ment Wednesday.q
cries of “I can’t breathe.” ciated Press that they were cerns for violence in the riots which occurred af-

Injunction blocking Florida law targeting drag shows applies to all

venues, judge says

By MIKE SCHNEIDER the judge that the prelimi- ties” to the complaint. and that all Floridians are ues for allowing children
Associated Press nary injunction should only The judge rejected that ar- potentially parties since into “adult live performanc-
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A apply to the Orlando res- gument, saying any harm free speech is at stake. es.” Though it did not men-
federal judge said Wednes- taurant that sued seeking to the state of Florida is “Plaintiff is not the only par- tion drag shows specifical-
day that his order blocking to get the law ruled uncon- minimal if the preliminary ty suffering injury as a result ly, the sponsor of the leg-
a Florida law targeting drag stitutional and not “nonpar- injunction remains in place, of the passage of the Act; islation said it was aimed
shows doesn’t just apply to it has a chilling effect on all at those performances.
the restaurant that brought members of society who Venues that violated the
the lawsuit challenging it fall within its reach,” Presnell law faced fines and the
but to other venues in the wrote in his order. possibility of their liquor li-
state, reiterating that the The complaint was brought censes being suspended or
legislation championed by by the owner of a Ham- revoked. Individuals could
Gov. Ron DeSantis is likely burger Mary’s restaurant be charged with a misde-
unconstitutional. and bar in Orlando, which meanor crime.
A state agency that would regularly hosts drag shows, Before announcing his
enforce the law had asked including family-friendly candidacy for the 2024
U.S. District Judge Gregory performances on Sundays GOP presidential nomina-
Presnell to put on hold his that children were invited tion, DeSantis made anti-
preliminary injunction stop- to attend. The restaurant LGBTQ+ legislation a large
ping the law from being en- owner said the law was part of his agenda as gov-
forced until a trial is held to Drag performer Velvet LeNore joins dancers on stage during overbroad, was written ernor. Other bills he signed
determine its constitutional- the gala at the Florida Democratic Party’s Annual Leadership vaguely and violated First would ban gender-affirm-
ity while the state of Florida Blue Weekend at the Fontainebleau Hotel on Miami Beach, Amendment rights by chill- ing care for minors and re-
appeals the injunction. Fla., Saturday, July 8, 2023. ing speech. strict discussion of personal
Attorneys for Florida told Associated Press The new law punished ven- pronouns in schools.q