Minnesota Judge Rejects Defense Team’s Request to Move Trial Of Ex-Officers Involved In George Floyd’s Death

Four former Minnesota officers will have to face their day in a Minnesota court after a judge disagreed with their defense team’s requests to relocate the trial.

Judge Peter Cahill of Hennepin County found no reason to move the trial despite the security concerns raised by the defense lawyers.

According to ABC News, the attorneys argued that pretrial publicity would work against the four former officers, claiming that it will be impossible they receive a fair trial. To help their argument, they brought up an incident that took place during the September 11 hearing, the attorneys and their clients were confronted by angry protesters right outside the courthouse.

They also believe this will happen to witnesses, believing that they as well as jurors could be intimidated and influenced by the crowds protesting in George Floyd’s favor.

“No corner of the State of Minnesota has been shielded from pretrial publicity regarding the death of George Floyd. Because of that pervasive media coverage, a change of venue is unlikely to cure the taint of potential prejudicial pretrial publicity,” the Judge wrote, while also saying he would retreat back to the matter if needed.

But in an attempt to help the jurors, under a separate ruling, the judge has decided to keep their identity hidden. While in deliberation, they will be protected and escorted, the news outlet reports. America is waiting to see how this case unfolds. Thankfully the judge will allow it to be televised as well as streamed live.

The second issue raised by defense attorneys was the request that each officer involved face their own trial; evidently, each officer has diminished their part in Floyd’s arrest and death that day. It’s been said that now officers have succumbed to placing the blame on one another—so much for police loyalty huh?

Like the first issue over security, Cahill saw no reason to separate the trials, referencing the complications that would cause, also saying trying them together would “ensure that the jury understands…all of the evidence and the complete picture of Floyd’s death.”

“And it would allow this community, this State and the nation to absorb the verdicts for the four defendants at once,” he concluded.

In Cahill’s opinion, the critical evidence is a common denominator for each man, making one trial the more feasible option since it allows witnesses to testify one time.

It’s possible that every officer besides Derek Chauvin feels like they shouldn’t be held responsible for the death of Floyd, considering that Chauvin is the one who kneeled his knee into Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes regardless of the fact that Floyd said he couldn’t breathe. As a result, all four were terminated from their position and set to appear at trial in March.

Chauvin, a white former officer, has been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. As for the others, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng, and Tou Thao, they are facing aiding and abetting for not intervening Chauvin’s wrongdoings that day.
“My goal is to assure that a fair trial occurs for Mr. Kueng. We are happy to have the orders so we can start preparing for our trial and presenting the truth in front of a jury,” attorney Tom Plunkett who represents Kueng said in regard to Cahill’s orders.

As for the prosecutors on the case, they’re more than happy with Cahill’s decision, calling it “another significant step forward.”

Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci also feel it’s a progressive step towards getting justice for Floyd and the community. Both attorneys represent Floyd’s family and agree that the former officers “should rightly face a jury of their peers in the city where this tragedy took place.”