Hennepin County judge Peter Cahill says he will rule quickly on a request to delay and relocate the trial of two former Minneapolis police officers accused aiding and abetting in the death of George Floyd.
Attorneys for Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng made their request Tuesday in Hennepin County Court. Both say there's been so much worldwide publicity about the George Floyd case that it would be impossible to seat an impartial jury.
The lawyers also pointed to the recent guilty plea of former co-defendant Thomas Lane. All three were convicted in a Federal Civil Rights trial earlier this year.
Prosecutors say they believe jurors will take their job seriously and do it fairly.
Jury selection in the trial for Thao and Kueng is scheduled to start June 14, with opening statements coming July 5.
Derek Chauvin pleaded guilty last year to a federal charge of violating Floyd’s civil rights and faces a federal sentence ranging from 20 to 25 years. The former officer earlier was convicted of state charges of murder and manslaughter and is currently serving 22 1/2 years in the state case.
In his earlier plea deal, Lane admitted that he intentionally helped restrain the Floyd in a way that created an unreasonable risk and caused his death. Under the agreement, Lane agreed to serve three years in prison.
That time will be served along with the federal sentence, which he has yet to receive.
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