Chauvin's lawyers in the filing asked the court to do one of three things: reverse his conviction, reverse his conviction and grant him a new trial in a different venue, or return the case to a lower court for resentencing.
The lawyers added,"However, the real problem is the jurors expressed concern for they and their families’ personal safety and riots breaking out in the event they acquitted Chauvin." The threat of violence was"extreme," and because jurors were not sequestered, they saw this every day during trial, Chauvin's lawyers said in the filing.
Chauvin's lawyers also claimed that a police officer cannot be convicted for felony murder under Minnesota law and that Chauvin was authorized to"touch" Floyd when Floyd resisted arrest. The court telling the jury that"it is not necessary for the State to prove that [Chauvin] intended to inflict substantial bodily harm" is a"material misstatement of the law," Chauvin's attorneys argued.