Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is appealing against his conviction for murder in the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/the-americas/did-george-floyd-s-death-change-us-policing-1.1229184" target="_blank">killing of George Floyd</a>, saying jurors were intimidated by protests and prejudiced by heavy pre-trial publicity. Chauvin asked the Minnesota Court of Appeals in a filing to reverse his conviction, reverse and remand for a new trial in a new venue, or order a resentencing. Last June, Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill sentenced Chauvin to <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/the-americas/derek-chauvin-sentenced-to-22-and-a-half-years-for-murder-of-george-floyd-1.1248876" target="_blank">22.5 years in prison</a> after jurors found him guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Floyd died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin, who is white, pinned the black man to the ground with his knee on his neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds. The victim had been accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenience store. <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/us-news/2022/02/24/george-floyd-three-ex-officers-guilty-of-violating-black-mans-rights/" target="_blank">Three other fired officers</a> face state trial this summer after being convicted in federal court this year of breaching Floyd's civil rights. Chauvin's attorney, William Mohrman, laid out challenges to his conviction, including that the trial should not have been held in Hennepin County, where Floyd was killed. “The overwhelming media coverage exposed the jurors, literally every day, to news demonising Chauvin and glorifying Floyd, which was more than sufficient to presume prejudice,” the brief filed on Monday said. In the months that followed Floyd's killing, protesters took to the streets in Minneapolis and around the country to protest against police brutality and racism. Some rallies turned violent. Mr Mohrman said several potential jurors expressed concerns during jury selection that if Chauvin was acquitted they would fear for their personal safety and worried about more violence. He said several stated they were intimidated by the security measures at the courthouse to protect trial participants from protesters. The filing also mentioned the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/us-news/2022/02/18/ex-cop-who-killed-daunte-wright-sentenced-to-two-years-in-prison/" target="_blank">fatal shooting of Daunte Wright</a> by a police officer in nearby Brooklyn Centre that sparked more protests during Chauvin's trial. It says jurors should have been sequestered after selection to avoid being prejudiced by reports of that killing. It also referred to a $27 million settlement reached between the city and Floyd's family that was announced during jury selection, saying the timing of that prejudiced jurors. Mr Mohrman gave several instances of alleged prosecutorial misconduct, claiming untimely sharing of evidence, failure to disclose and document dumping by the government. The filing also says the judge did not apply the sentencing guidelines correctly and should not have included “abuse of a position of authority” as an aggravating sentencing factor for the former police officer. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has 45 days to respond to Chauvin's brief. The appeal came as the Minnesota Department of Human Rights released the results of a nearly two-year investigation launched after Floyd's death. It found the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/us-news/2021/11/03/minneapolis-votes-not-to-dissolve-police-following-george-floyd-murder/" target="_blank">Minneapolis Police Department</a> has engaged in a pattern of race discrimination for at least a decade. It included stopping and arresting black people at a higher rate than white people, using force more often on people of colour, and maintaining a culture where racist language is tolerated.