Judge Rules Derek Chauvin Is a Broke Bitch, Unable to Hire an Attorney in Federal Civil Rights Case
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin isn’t only a convicted murderer; apparently, he’s also a broke bitch. A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that Chauvin is “financially unable” to hire an attorney to defend him in his civil rights case.
According to Insider, Chauvin appeared before federal court for the first time on Tuesday. Chauvin is facing charges that he used his authority as a cop to violate the civil rights of both George Floyd and a 14-year-old boy he arrested in 2017. U.S. Magistrate Judge Becky Thorson appointed Eric Nelson, the attorney who represented Chauvin during his criminal trial in Minneapolis, in a court filing on Tuesday.
In May of last year, Chauvin was seen in a viral video kneeling on George Floyd’s neck and back for over nine minutes while Floyd repeatedly pleaded that he couldn’t breathe. Floyd died as a result, and in April, a jury found Chauvin guilty of second degree unintentional murder, third degree murder, and second degree manslaughter.
In the case of the 14-year-old, federal prosecutors have accused Chauvin of holding his knee on the boy’s neck and back for over 17 minutes while the boy was handcuffed on the ground and not resisting. In a court filing, a Minnesota state prosecutor alleged that video of the arrest shows Chauvin striking the teenager and ignoring his pleas that he couldn’t breathe.
What really bothers me is that it’s unlikely Minnesota Police didn’t know this dude was trash—he had 18 complaints filed against him over 19 years, for Christ’s sake. If they drew the line at him striking a kid and kneeling on his neck, George Floyd would probably still be alive.
Chauvin is currently in a maximum security prison where he is awaiting sentencing in his criminal trial. He faces up to 40 years in prison, and a judge has ruled that he could give Chauvin a longer than usual sentence due to certain “aggravating factors.” Chauvin has yet to file a plea on the civil rights charges.
