MINNESOTA – The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Monday upheld the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of Mr George Floyd during a 2020 arrest, rejecting Chauvin’s request for a new trial.

The panel of three judges rejected Chauvin’s argument that the judge in his 2021 state trial abused his discretion in denying Chauvin’s request to move the trial outside of Minneapolis.

Chauvin, a white man, was convicted of murdering Mr Floyd, a black man, by kneeling on Mr Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes during the arrest, which sparked protests across the country against police brutality and racism.

Chauvin was sentenced to 22½ years in prison. In December 2021, Chauvin pleaded guilty in federal court to charges that he violated Mr Floyd’s civil rights. REUTERS