A Minnesota judge on Monday postponed the trial of two former Minneapolis police officers accused of the murder of George Floyd to 2023, citing the need to ensure fair proceedings.
Hennepin County District Court Judge Peter Cahill ruled that the trial of J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, which was scheduled to begin this month, is now scheduled for January 5 next year. The pair are accused of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter.
Cahill proclaimed in his ruling that media coverage of the defendants’ guilty verdict in a federal civil rights trial in February, along with coverage of co-defendant and former officer Thomas Lane’s guilty plea in May, would result in a unfair trial this month. Lane pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the wrongful death.
Kueng, Thao and Lane watched fellow officer Derek Chauvin murder Floyd by kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes in May 2020. Chauvin was found guilty last year and sentenced to more than 22 years in prison. Floyd’s murder has sparked global protests calling for racial justice and police accountability.
Cahill also objected to the defendants’ request for a change of location. And it denied the media’s request to allow cameras or audio recording devices in the courtroom.
In response to Cahill’s ruling, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in an emailed statement that “it is regrettable to victims, witnesses and the community that the opportunity to seek justice has been delayed.”
Source: CNN Brasil
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