MINNEAPOLIS, (AP) Friday's hearing was a non-guilty plea by a judge on tax evasion charges against Derek Chauvin, formerly convicted in George Floyd's murder and his ex-wife.
The next court date for the case was also set by Sheridan Hawley, Washington County District Judge. It is Jan. 21. The trial date has not yet been established.
Zoom was used to allow Derek Chauvin to appear via Zoom. He is currently serving a 22-1/2-year sentence for his April conviction for second-degree murder in Floyd's May 2020 death. As Floyd pleaded for his life, the Black man kneeled on the neck of the white officer.
Chauvin sat in prison conference room wearing a white Tshirt and said nothing other than yes, your honour, to answer routine questions. Kellie Chauvin was seen from a different place.
In July 2020, nine felony tax evasion charges were filed against Derek and Kellie Chauvin. They are accused of underreporting their joint income by $464433, including $95,000 for off-duty security work. Kellie Chauvin was both a photographer and a real estate agent. Prosecutors claimed that they owed $37.868 to the state at the time. This included unpaid taxes, interest, and fees. Prosecutors claim that the tax investigation began prior to Floyd's death.
After Floyd's death, Kellie Chauvin filed for divorce. A judge approved the divorce last February under terms that were kept secret. An initial settlement proposal that would have given Kellie Chauvin most their property and money was rejected by the judge. This had led to speculation that the Chauvins were trying protect their assets.
Along with three other ex-officers, Derek Chauvin faces a federal civil rights trial. They are still being tried in state court for aiding and abetting Chauvin's death. Chauvin pleaded not guilty in civil rights cases and appealed his murder conviction.
