Minnesota Supreme Court upholds denial of public defender for Derek Chauvin

Another Chauvin loss in court. WCCO reports: “The Minnesota Supreme Court has upheld the denial of Derek Chauvin’s request for a public defender to represent him in the appeal of his murder conviction. … Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, was convicted in April of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in George Floyd’s death on Memorial Day of 2020. He was sentenced to 22-and-a-half years in prison. … When Chauvin filed his appeal last month, he also sought ‘pauper status,’ which would have exempted him from having to pay court costs and filing fees. That motion was denied.”

Yellow cards, red cards … and vaccination cards. KARE’s Dana Thiede reports: “The Red Loons and Dark Clouds are crazy about the Minnesota United Football Club (MNUFC) professional soccer team, but a disagreement over COVID-19 vaccination policies could keep the ardent supporters away from Allianz Field. … Both fan groups released statements Tuesday saying they recently held a meeting with Minnesota United’s CEO, COO and Field Manager, asking MNUFC to require either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for entry to Allianz Field. Leaders of the fan groups say the Loons remain opposed to a vaccination or test policy, citing concern for ticket sales and fear of alienating those who oppose the COVID vaccine.”

Adds up. WCCO’s Reg Chapman reports: “A north Minneapolis man is using math to encourage Black youth to enroll at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. … Since graduating from Bethune-Cookman University, Troy Vaughn has used his education to help others, as a police officer and a teacher. … ‘On my days off as a police officer, I was going in substituting teaching, because I had my teachers license in Minnesota,’ Vaughn said. … While inside elementary and middle school classrooms, he noticed a difference between what was happening in suburban and urban schools. ‘What they were being taught was two different things, and that’s when I kind of seen that there was a disparity between the two,’ Vaughn said.”