Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison became a prominent figure in the state after deciding to prosecute former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the killing of George Floyd in May 2020.  

He joined BNC’s Yodit Tewolde on Making the Case for an exclusive about the Chauvin verdict and Minnesota’s creation of a conviction review unit.  

In partnership with the Innocence Project, Ellison’s office has created a statewide conviction unit that will review the convictions of people believed to be innocent. “This effort is important because prosecutors should lead the cause of justice and when we have credible evidence there’s an innocent person, you shouldn’t wait around for the defendant or the defendant’s lawyer to bring a motion to court,” he said. “We should step up and do something about it.”  

The U.S. incarcerates more people than any other part of the world and there are some people in prison who shouldn’t be there,” Ellison said. The conviction unit has already received more than 300 applications for cases to review. 

RELATED: Derek Chauvin Sentenced to Over 20 Years for Murder of George Floyd  

In April, Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years for murdering George Floyd. The case made national attention and reinvigorated the push for national police reform. Ellison said he was surprised up until the verdicts were read.  

“In hindsight, you know, maybe I should’ve had a clue, right,” he said. “But the truth is, history was on Derek Chauvin’s side.”  

RELATED: BNC Exclusive: Brother of Walter Scott Speaks on Police Violence, Need for Reform 

Citing Rodney King and Walter Scott, he said there are a lot of cases against police that include videos and witnesses that resulted in hung juries, acquittals or no charges. Right after the verdicts were read and Chauvin was walked out in handcuffs, Ellison said he still didn’t feel good.  

“In many ways, I felt a little sad, but we moved forward and we sought the highest sentence.” 

Ellison said the people who witnessed the murder were also victims. “I think that everybody who watched Derek Chauvin murder George Floyd is somewhat of a victim because what they saw is people entrusted with our protection commit a murder,” he said.  

RELATED: ‘Trauma’ Wording in Chauvin Sentencing Order Will Not Be Changed 

He noted Chauvin’s crime also injured the trust of the public and how communities view the police. Now, Ellison is joining the fight on other key issues like abortion and reproductive freedom.  

If you or someone you know is struggling from trauma triggered by this story, resources are available here.