Three former Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd have asked a judge to reconsider allowing cameras in the courtroom.
Defense attorneys for Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao requested on Thursday, arguing against cameras being allowed during the trial because witnesses say they won’t testify if the trial is televised or live-streamed. They also feel that cameras will prevent their clients a fair trial, Minnesota CBS reported.
The trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was the first time cameras were allowed to show gavel-to-gavel coverage in the state’s history. The world was able to watch Chauvin’s full trial.
“What we learned is transparency. Cameras in the courtroom are extremely important so that everyone can see what happens at a trial,” defense attorney Joe Tamburino said. Tamburino is not involved in Floyd’s trial but has stated that Judge Peter Cahill’s ruling should stand and cameras should be allowed in the trial of Lane, Kueng, and Thao.
“The proof is in the pudding. We have a case in history now, the Chauvin case, where cameras were in the courtroom and it worked extremely well,” Tamburino added.
The state changed its original stance on cameras in the courtroom and cited Chauvin’s televised trial as support for why cameras should be allowed.
WCCO is part of a media coalition that is also pushing for public transparency. The Minnesota Supreme Court is also considering expanding camera access during criminal proceedings.
Judge Cahill is taking the time to decide if cameras will be allowed.
The three officers will also have a federal civil rights case that Judge Cahill wants to go to first, but it doesn’t have a date so far. The state trial is set to begin in March of 2022.
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