Derek Chauvin's Lawyer Doesn't Want George Floyd To Be Called A "Victim"

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The attorney for Derek Chauvin demands George Floyd isn't referred to as a "victim" or compared to Jesus during the trial.

The attorney for George Floyd's killer demands that the victim isn't referred to as such during the case. According to TMZ, Derek Chauvin's lawyer filed a motion asking for several protocols to be applied during the trial including prohibiting prosecutors from referring to Floyd as a "victim" or comparing his death to Christ's crucifixion. Chauvin's defense argues that this is prejudicial.

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The slew of requests made also include blocking prosecutors from calling Chauvin the "defendant" in the case. The motion details other odd defense to help provide Chauvin's innocence. The defense doesn't want other police taking the stand to describe what they would've done differently, or paramedics testifying about the cause of death. However, they are open to testimonies regarding Floyd's alleged substance abuse issues. 

Chauvin is currently charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. Per Star Tribune, Chauvin's attorney Eric Nelson also pushed back against the proposed reinstatement of a third-degree murder charge against Chauvin. The charge was brought up after Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling upheld a third-degree murder charge against Mohamed Noor for the shooting death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond. It has yet to be made into a legal precedent which is the loophole Nelson is trying to use.

"The state has deliberately turned a blind eye to actual binding precedent which clearly establishes that Noor is not, in fact, precedential," said Nelson. "[The state's] reliance on Noor is misplaced, or, at best, premature. Its motions to reinstate or amend the complaint must, therefore, be denied."

We'll keep you updated on the case. 

 


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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