Counsel for four Minneapolis police officers charged with George Floyd’s death argued that in order to save Floyd’s loved ones from further and unnecessary trauma, participants argued Friday that they should pursue the case together.
For the first time on Friday Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, j. Alexander Kueng and Tau Thao appeared in court together.
Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and genocide after pressing his knee against Flood’s neck, as Blake, 46, said he could not breathe before he became immobile on May 25. Lane, Kueng and Thao are charged. Assistance and expression of second-degree murder and homicide.
Requests to cancel the fee on Friday will not be heeded. A hearing is scheduled for March.
During the court hearing, the defense introduced a motion to move the hearing from Minneapolis. The judge also discussed the extent to which the jury is segregated or may be anonymous.
On Friday, the state presented several arguments for a joint hearing.
The state said the evidence and charges are the same, and the witnesses will probably be the same but it will not be available for many trials that will last for years. The four trials will delay justice and pay taxes to the court, the state said. And the verdict of the first hearing is likely to affect the next three.
Prosecutor Neil Katyal added that “forcing the family, victims and witnesses to go through not just one, not two, not three but four is forced to remove the trauma.”
“I’ve seen so much in my life, I can hardly watch these videos,” Katal said, referring to a lot of videos showing almost all angles of minutes and seconds leading up to Flood’s final breath.
The joint trial will also allow people to exploit and react to judgments together, the state said.
Defense attorneys want the trial to be set aside for all four officers so that each officer can be tried on his or her own evidence, arguing that evidence against one officer could affect another’s right to a fair trial.
Floyd’s family prosecutors accused defense attorneys of finding a new place to get a more profitable jury pool.
Attorney Jeff Storms said outside the court, “The goal of trying to change their locations is to find as many jurors as they can to find out that George doesn’t look like Floyd.” And that is the goal. “
The case is being prosecuted by lawyers under Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Some lawyers under Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman were assisting before Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill on Friday disqualified four of Freeman’s staff lawyers from being involved in the case.
The county prosecutors interviewed the medical examiners without any other witnesses, leaving the lawyers open to being called witnesses by the defense. Cahill called it “sloppy” work.
Floyd’s death sparked protests across the country and the world, calling for police reform and racial justice.
“No justice, no peace” and “Say his name … George Floyd.” A few dozen protesters gathered in the courtroom on Friday morning, chanting “No!”
Associated Press and David K. Ltd. Contributed.
