Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is trying to claw back his murder conviction in the death of George Floyd, asking a Hennepin County judge for a new trial based on what his lawyers call fresh medical evidence and serious errors at his original trial. The judge heard arguments this week and has not yet ruled, while prosecutors are firmly urging the court to leave the verdict intact.
Defense’s claims
In a petition filed in November 2025, Chauvin’s legal team argued that newly hired forensic and medical experts challenge the methods used by prosecution doctors and say video from the scene was wrongly treated as medical proof, according to court records summarized by FOX 9. The filing also leans on sworn statements from dozens of current and former Minneapolis officers who say knee-to-neck restraints were part of department training, per Police1.
Prosecutors push back
State prosecutors countered that Chauvin’s latest claims are either recycled from earlier rounds of litigation or simply lack merit, and they urged the court to reject his bid for post-conviction relief, according to MPR News. The state maintains that the 2021 trial was fair, that the evidence overwhelmingly supported the jury’s verdict, and that there is no basis to reopen the case.
What happened in court
A Hennepin County judge heard arguments from both sides in Minneapolis this week and left the petition under advisement, weighing the new filings and legal claims before issuing a decision. Willmar Radio reported on the hearing, detailing the defense’s push for a new trial and the state’s effort to keep the conviction in place.
What happens next
If the judge grants post-conviction relief, the court could order an evidentiary hearing to dig deeper into the new claims or go as far as granting Chauvin a full retrial. If relief is denied, his attorneys can continue pressing the case in the state appellate courts. Legal coverage notes that the petition has been taken under advisement in earlier phases of the post-conviction process and that the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office has already filed formal responses in the case, according to Police1.
Background
Chauvin was convicted in April 2021 of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death, and received a 22½-year sentence in state court. He is also serving a concurrent federal sentence for civil-rights violations tied to the same incident. As FOX 9 reported, Chauvin is currently incarcerated at FCI Big Spring in Texas while his appeals and post-conviction petitions move through the courts.
