Derek Chauvin Has to Pay for His Own Lawyer, Minnesota Supreme Court Rules
Source: Vice News
Derek Chauvin, the former Minnesota cop convicted of murdering George Floyd last May, is going to have to pull together the cash for his own attorney moving forward.
On Wednesday, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that Chauvin will not be eligible for a public defender. Its the second time in two months the court denied his request for one because he doesnt have the money to pay for an attorney on his own.
Last month, when Chauvin filed an appeal in the murder trial that found him guilty of second and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, court documents showed he had also filed for pauper status, which would allow him to retain a public defender and potentially waive court costs associated with his case. In appeal documents made public at the time, Chauvin insisted that he was already $142,000 in debt.
I do not have a sufficient source of income, besides nominal prison wages, which are being used to pay off fees from the above captioned case, Chauvin wrote at the time. My only assets are two retirement accounts. If I take funds from said accounts, I will be significantly penalized and the remained will likely be taken to pay off debts.
Read more: https://www.vice.com/en/article/qj8795/derek-chauvin-cant-get-public-defender-minnesota-supreme-court-rules
bluewater
(5,376 posts)truthisfreedom
(23,138 posts)msongs
(67,347 posts)ColinC
(8,277 posts)If not possibly unconstitutional?
Is it simply presumed that he has a net worth that could afford an attorney, but simply does not want to?
boyedav1969
(93 posts)...that he could afford his own lawyer if he wanted too. He just doesn't want to dip into his nest egg if he can get the govt to foot the bill.
ColinC
(8,277 posts)And if he didn't murder anybody, he wouldn't have needed to!
plimsoll
(1,667 posts)Dustlawyer
(10,494 posts)Too bad, so sad! (Not really)
ColinC
(8,277 posts)🤣😂😅
Calista241
(5,585 posts)Theyre shielded from lawsuits for instance.
Chainfire
(17,458 posts)How much representation did your victim get?
boyedav1969
(93 posts)He *could* dip into his retirement to pay for his attorney, he just doesn't think he should have to. Plenty of people less fortunate have had to ask family and friends to go into debt for them in order to afford proper representation against prosecutors with seemingly endless resources. People who didn't have Chauvin's assets to fall back on.
I'm surprised his fellow bastards/racists haven't started a GoFundMe so he can afford a legal dream team, for what I'm sure they all think is an unjust prosecution.
I'm not sure which I prefer for him: being financially devastated, or getting stuck with an already over-burdened public defender. It's still too good for him.
MyOwnPeace
(16,917 posts)if a wacko 17-yr. old, Kyle Rittenhouse, can round up 2 million or so, you would think that this guy would be rolling it in big-time!
secondwind
(16,903 posts)LetMyPeopleVote
(144,884 posts)rurallib
(62,373 posts)or maybe the old cash canister on the conveyance store counter
brush
(53,726 posts)Why is he even appealing? Everybody saw the video of him murdering George Floyd.
Demobrat
(8,957 posts)before he does any more work? Go figure.
oswaldactedalone
(3,489 posts)Tough luck on the ruling. Oh, and go fuck yourself.
iluvtennis
(19,825 posts)Escurumbele
(3,374 posts)he can argue about? He is lucky to just have jail time, the way he committed the murder a bigger punishment should have been placed on him.
ShazzieB
(16,265 posts)Aww. karma's a bitch, right, Derek? Too bad, so sad.
Turbineguy
(37,285 posts)LetMyPeopleVote
(144,884 posts)Link to tweet
The state's high court said Chauvin has not established that he is entitled to a public defender.
The justices made that decision after reviewing information about Chauvin's debts and assets, as well as the Office of the Minnesota Appellate Public Defender's prior determination that Chauvin was ineligible, Chief Justice Lorie Gildea wrote.
Chauvin may seek a public defender in the future if he's unable to pay for a lawyer, the Supreme Court said.
Chauvin filed documents last month saying he intends to appeal his conviction and sentence on 14 grounds, including that his trial should have been moved from Hennepin County and the jury should have been sequestered.
Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)Mosby
(16,252 posts)Or was it his wife was going to divorce him and retain all the assets? Got shot down by the courts I think.