Scott Johnson;

Derek Chauvin could not afford an attorney to appeal his convictions in the case of George Floyd. Chauvin’s insurance did not extend to appeals and the Minnesota Supreme Court denied him a public defender. Although I thought Chauvin could not have received a fair trial in Hennepin County, it looked like he wouldn’t be able to raise the issue on appeal either. […]

Virtually every time I wrote about the trial on Power Line I noted the riots that preceded it, the riots that occurred during it, and the concrete and barbed-wire construction around the courthouse that gave visible form to the lynch-mob atmosphere of the proceedings. National Guard troops were stationed outside the courthouse along with two armored personnel carriers.

Security concerns were such that the jurors assembled at an undisclosed location each morning during the trial and were driven to and from the courthouse by Hennepin County Sheriff’s officers in unmarked vans. The Star Tribune reported: “The unprecedented effort aimed at protecting jurors from danger and outside influence cost $21,905 in van rentals.”

One more thing. Governor Walz began deploying National Guard troops around Minneapolis and St. Paul as early as Wednesday, April 14, 2021-before jury sequestration-in the event riots occurred “post verdict,” as Bill puts it at page 29 of Appellant’s Brief. “Post verdict” should be translated as “in the unlikely event of a not guilty verdict.” Everyone in his right mind understood the secondary effects of a not guilty verdict.

He has an appeal lawyer now, and legal defense fund at a Give Send Go, for however long that lasts.