Judge denies Derek Chauvin's retrial request hours before sentencing
Law enforcement officers transfer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis in September 2020. Photo: David Joles/Star Tribune via Getty Images
Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill denied former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin's request for a retrial, according to NBC News.
Why it matters: Cahill's denial ensures that Chauvin will be sentenced for the murder of George Floyd later that same day.
The big picture: Cahill wrote in a ruling Thursday night that Chauvin's defense "failed to demonstrate ... the Court abused its discretion or committed error such that Defendant was deprived of his constitutional right to a fair trial," as it claimed in its request for a retrial, according to CNN.
- Cahill also said Chauvin's defense did not demonstrate prosecutorial or juror misconduct.
- Minnesota prosecutors are seeking a 30-year sentence for Chauvin, but he could receive a shorter sentence because state guidelines recommend a maximum of 15 years for a person with no criminal history.
Go deeper: Prosecutors seek 30 years for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin