Ex-Minneapolis police officers in George Floyd case to be tried together, trial can be broadcast

A Minneapolis judge has ruled that the four ex-police officers charged in connection with the May 25 death of George Floyd will stand trial together.

Judge Pete Cahill also ruled Thursday that the trial will be allowed to be broadcast by media inside the courtroom when it occurs next spring. 

“Protests demanding justice for George Floyd continue. It is expected that, even with some overflow courtrooms, the demand by family members, the public, and the press to attend the joint trial will outstrip the court’s ability to provide meaningful access,” the judge said in his ruling.

Defendants Derek Chauvin, Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao will be tried in Minneapolis, where in Floyd died while in police custody, the judge also said.

Attorneys representing the four men had asked for a change of venue, arguing that an impartial pool of jurors would be impossible to procure, considering the case's immensely high-profile. Cahill left open the possibility of a change of venue. 

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he was content with the decision of the judge. 

“The murder of George Floyd occurred in Minneapolis, and it is right that the defendants should be tried in Minneapolis. It is also true that they acted in concert with each other, and the evidence against them is similar, so it is right to try them in one trial," said Ellison, whose office is overseeing the prosecution of the men. 

Chauvin, who had been on the force for nearly two-decades prior to the incident in May, is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. If found guilty, his sentence could sum to 40 years behind bars. The other ex-officers are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.