Judge pushes back state trial for 3 ex-officers charged in George Floyd’s death
From left: Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao[Hennepin County Sheriff's Office]
The state criminal trial for three former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s death has been continued to June 13.
Jury selection for the trial of J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao was previously slated to begin March 7 but the attorneys representing the ex-cops petitioned Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill for a continuance to allow time for their federal civil rights trial, which starts on Thursday.
In his order granting the motion to reschedule the trial, Cahill offered a window from March 14 all the way up to Jan. 9, 2023, for the defense and prosecution to agree upon. Cahill signed off on the new trial date on Wednesday.
The three officers are charged with one count each of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
Derek Chauvin, the former officer who was captured kneeling on Floyd’s neck, was convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He was also set to stand trial with Kueng, Lane and Thao for federal charges alleging he deprived Floyd of his civil rights while acting under the color of law, but he pleaded guilty last month.
Chauvin was sentenced to 22½ years in prison for the murder conviction and faces more time once he is sentenced for the federal charges.