Minnesota Supreme Court denies Chauvin request for public defender in George Floyd murder appealThe Hill, Oct 4, 2021
The Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday denied Derek Chauvin's request for a public defender as the former Minneapolis police officer prepares to appeal his murder conviction in the death of George Floyd.
Chief Justice Lorie Gildea signed an order that said Chauvin failed to prove that he qualifies for representation from a public defender, according to the Star Tribune.
The court determined that Chauvin did not illustrate that he was too poor to pay for a private attorney. Gildea did not, however, reveal further details regarding his assets or debts, according to the Star Tribune.
The chief justice wrote in the order, citing state law, that a defendant is considered too poor to provide their own lawyer if they, "through any combination of liquid assets and current income," are not able to finance their own attorney.
The former police officer claimed in an affidavit that he has no earnings other than nominal prison wages he has received, according to The Associated Press. He contended that his debts are larger than his assets.
Chauvin also said he does not currently have legal representation for his appeal.
The Minnesota Supreme Court's decision upheld that of Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill, who presided over Chauvin's trial in the spring, according to the news outlets.
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