Tech billionaire Elon Musk publicly called for the release of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, stating on social media that Chauvin was “unjustly convicted of murder” in the 2020 death of George Floyd.
Posting on X, the Tesla chief executive argued that Chauvin “should be freed” and reposted statements from other users opposing the conviction.
“The facts show that he was not the cause of death, nor did he at any time intend for a death to occur,” Musk wrote. “Whatever else he may be, he is not a murderer.”
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Musk’s comments followed a new legal motion filed on behalf of Chauvin by defense attorney Gregory J. Joseph.
The defense requested an immediate dismissal of state murder charges against the imprisoned former officer, citing fundamental constitutional defects in the original trial.
In the court filings, defense counsel contends that Minnesota officials committed “structural errors” that deprived courts of jurisdiction.
The motion argues that Gov. Tim Walz lacked statutory authority when he appointed state Attorney General Keith Ellison to lead the prosecution, and that officials failed to convene a grand jury or secure a proper indictment before bringing formal charges.
In legal practice, structural errors represent basic constitutional defects in a trial’s framework that render the resulting charges and conviction invalid.
A Hennepin County jury convicted Chauvin in April 2021 on charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.
Video recorded by a bystander showed Chauvin pressing his knee into Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes while Floyd was pinned face-down on the street, sparking global demonstrations over police conduct.
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The latest filing marks Chauvin’s third post-conviction petition seeking relief in state court as he requests the Minnesota Court of Appeals to pause his ongoing appeal regarding a previously denied petition so the district court can act on the new dismissal request.
Chauvin is currently serving a 22.5-year state prison sentence alongside a concurrent 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights.
