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.
Minneapolis is embarking on a court-ordered overhaul of its police department. Chicago, where an effort began in 2019, is at "risk of failing" to meet its goals, a former official said.
Tou Thao, who already had been convicted in federal court of violating Floyd’s civil rights, was the last of the four former officers facing judgment in state court.
Chauvin’s attorney argued that the trial judge should have moved the case out of Minneapolis because of extensive pretrial publicity and unprecedented security precautions due to fears of violence.