George Floyd's family speaks out on Derek Chauvin's latest appeal

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer in prison for the murder of George Floyd, is apparently trying to appeal his conviction to a higher court.

One of Floyd's relatives in Raleigh told ABC11 that he hopes it will be a lost cause.

"I think that Derek really got all of the leniency possible with a 22-and-a-half-year sentence," said Roger Floyd, George's uncle. "Because, in my estimation, it should have been life without the possibility of parole."

Roger Floyd said he acknowledged that Chauvin is exercising his constitutional right as he is pursuing an appeal with the Minnesota Supreme Court. Still, Floyd argues that justice was already served when Chauvin was convicted for his nephew's death.

Chauvin last appealed his conviction with the Minnesota Court of Appeals in January. His attorney argued that Chauvin had been denied a fair trial when the judge kept the proceedings in Minneapolis where George Floyd was killed. Chauvin's defense also cited the intense coverage leading up to Chauvin's conviction. The appeals court upheld Chauvin's conviction last month.

"I foresee the Supreme Court doing the same thing because it was so obvious what happened on May 25th, 2020," Roger Floyd said. "The world saw it."

Chauvin is serving more than 20 years in prison for second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter as well as a federal sentence for violating George Floyd's civil rights. Roger Floyd said the family has accepted that his nephew is gone, but that he lights a candle for George every night and sends him a special message:

"We think of you. We miss you dearly, but you'll always be in our hearts and minds and in our spirit every single day," Roger Floyd said.

The family said they're working to keep George Floyd's memory alive through their organization, the Floyd Family Center for Social Equity.