The inmate accused of stabbing former Minneapolis police officer Derek Cahuvin in an Arizona prison can represent himself in court, a judge has ruled.
John Turscak, the federal inmate who attacked Chauvin, stabbed him 22 times with a makeshift knife at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Tucson last November.
Chauvin killed George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020, sparking nationwide Black Lives Matter protests.
This week’s decision, first reported by NBC News, agreed to Turscak’s request to waive his right to legal representation. Judge Lynnette Kimmins said he must still be provided with an advisory or backup attorney and reasonable access to law books, witnesses and other tools so he can prepare his defense.
FCI is a medium-security prison that has reportedly faced security and staffing issues. Chauvin was sent to FCI Tucson in August 2022 to serve concurrent sentences for violating Floyd’s civil rights and second-degree murder.
The Supreme Court rejected Chauvin’s appeal of his murder conviction.
Turscak said he had been thinking about hurting Chauvin for about a month because of how famous he was as an inmate. He also reportedly chose the day after Thanksgiving, known as “Black Friday,” to stab Chauvin because of the Black Lives Matter movement, NBC News reported.
He was charged with attempted murder, assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
