A U.S. District Judge has ruled that Derek Chauvin’s legal team can examine tissue and fluid samples from George Floyd’s heart as part of an appeal challenging his convictions. Chauvin, who is serving over two decades in prison for state and federal charges related to Floyd’s death, argues that this evidence could support a new theory about the cause of death.
The decision stems from Chauvin’s claim of “ineffective assistance of counsel,” alleging his previous attorney, Eric Nelson, failed to pursue critical evidence during the trial. A Kansas pathologist, Dr. William Schaetzel, proposed that Floyd’s death may have been caused by a heart condition, not Chauvin’s restraint techniques.
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BREAKING: A federal judge has ruled for Derek Chauvin and ordered that George Floyd's heart tumor must be tested to determine if it played a role in his death
The information about the heart tumor was not presented to Chauvin in the trialpic.twitter.com/FeHBuyRgqw
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) December 17, 2024
Chauvin’s legal team argues Schaetzel’s theory about high catecholamine levels or Takotsubo myocarditis — a stress-induced heart condition — was not adequately presented during the trial. According to the appeal, this information could have influenced Chauvin’s decision to plead guilty to federal charges.
The judge noted that the discovery could substantiate the pathologist’s claims. “Given the significant nature of the criminal case that [Chauvin] was convicted of… there is good cause to allow [him] to take the discovery,” the ruling stated.
At long long last, a judge officially acknowledges the fact that George Floyd was alive when he arrived at the hospital to get his antemortem blood samples collected. https://t.co/HU61mUhGdS pic.twitter.com/Lx24FkDz8e
— ~~datahazard~~ (@fentasyl) December 17, 2024
Chauvin is currently serving a combined state and federal sentence totaling over 40 years. His state charges include second-degree unintentional murder, while his federal conviction relates to civil rights violations.
The legal battle over Floyd’s death continues to draw national attention. The appeal also follows a recent attack on Chauvin, who was stabbed 22 times in prison by a former gang member, raising questions about his safety while incarcerated.
