Three former Minneapolis cops accused of violating George Floyd’s civil rights have requested to be tried separately from Derek Chauvin in their upcoming trial.
In court filings on Tuesday, lawyers for J. Kueng and Tou Thao argued that the men would likely be unfairly treated if they went to trial alongside Chauvin, who has already been convicted in Floyd’s murder. An attorney for Thomas Lane has asked to join this request as well out of similar concerns.
In addition to being indicted federally for violating Floyd’s civil rights, Chauvin, Kueng, Thao, and Lane were also charged in state court. Chauvin was sentenced to 22 ½ years, while the remaining three will go to trial next March for aiding and abetting charges.
Tom Plunkett, the attorney representing Keung, said that evidence against Chauvin would skew the jury’s judgment and rob him of a fair trial.
In his filing, Thao’s lawyer, Bob Paule, suggested that Thao be tried separately from Chauvin and his remaining co-defendants. Paule claims that the jury “will have insurmountable difficulty” distinguishing the acts of each party.
The officers will be arraigned on September 14th. A trial date has not been scheduled.
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