STILLWATER, Minn. – A judge entered not guilty pleas on tax evasion charges Friday on behalf of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murder in George Floyd’s death, and for the officer’s ex-wife.
Derek Chauvin appeared via Zoom for the brief hearing from the state’s maximum-security prison at Oak Park Heights, where he’s serving a 22 1/2-year sentence for his conviction in April for second-degree murder in the May 2020 death of Floyd.
Sitting in a prison conference room and wearing a white T-shirt, Chauvin said little except “yes, your honor,” to answer routine questions from the judge. Kellie Chauvin appeared from a different location.
Kellie Chauvin filed for divorce shortly after Floyd’s death, and a judge approved the divorce last February under terms that were kept sealed. The judge rejected an initial proposed settlement that would have given Kellie Chauvin most of their property and money, which had fueled speculation that the Chauvins were trying to shield their assets,
Derek Chauvin also faces a separate federal civil rights trial, along with the three other former officers who still face trial in state court with aiding and abetting Chauvin in Floyd’s death. Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to the civil rights charges and is appealing his murder conviction.
