Cops In George Floyd Death Wants Case Dropped Over Leaked Plea Deal

The legal teams representing George Floyd’s murderers are asking for the case to be dismissed due to leaked plea deal information.

Derek Chauvin will stand trial on March 8th for second-degree murder. Thomas Lane, Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao are scheduled to stand trial on August 23rd. The three have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. However, Thao’s attorney’s Robert and Natalie Paule asked a judge to dismiss the charges in a motion filed on Monday in Hennepin County District Court. The attorney’s accused Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison of leaking information regarding Chauvin’s plea deal negotiations in the motion.

The New York Times reported for the first time last week that a plea deal for Chauvin was in the works. Per three unnamed law enforcement sources, Chauvin would plead guilty to third-degree murder, with a possible ten-year sentence. This would allow him to avoid federal civil rights charges. Ultimately, Attorney General William Barr rejected the plea agreement.

Thao’s attorney’s argued that the leaked information will “irreversibly taint the jury pool and will deny Mr. Thao his constitutional right to a fair trial by impartial jurors.” They are also demanding that Ellison and prosecutors Matthew Frank and Neal Katyal face sanctions against the State for directly or indirectly releasing the highly prejudicial information.

In a separate motion filed on Tuesday by Kueng’s attorney, Thomas Plunkett, he asked that the case be dismissed, citing the Times’ article. He says that the leaked information “shows a complete disrespect for this Court and the fundamental notions of due process.” Plunkett believes that this has diverted justice for the officers.

On Wednesday, a third motion was filed by Lane’s attorney, Earl Gray. He stated it was “sad that the defense would stoop to peddling baseless conspiracy theories rather than prepare a serious defense of their client to address the grave crimes with which he is charged.”

The defense teams are asking Judge Peter Cahill to schedule a hearing regarding the dismissal.