Defense attorney Eric Nelson told Judge Peter Cahill on Monday that he believes this settlement, which is the biggest pre-trial settlement in a civil rights wrongful death case in U.S. history, will make it impossible for there to be a fair trial for former officer Derick Chauvin.
Judge Cahill previously denied another motion from Nelson to move the trial, stating Floyd’s death has been seen everywhere and it would be “unlikely to cure the taint of potential prejudicial pretrial publicity.”
Protests erupted around the world calling for police reform after video of Floyd’s May 25, 2020 killing surfaced online. Floyd was arrested for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill at a Minneapolis convenience store. After Floyd was handcuffed and detained, Chauvin held his knee on the 46-year-old’s neck for almost nine minutes as Floyd said he couldn’t breathe. Floyd’s last words became a rallying cry for demonstrators around the world as they demanded the officers responsible for his death be charged and sentenced.