By STEVE KARNOWSKI and AMY FORLITI
Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) â The trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged with aiding and abetting in the death of George Floyd will be pushed back to March 2022, in part to allow the publicity over Derek Chauvin s conviction to cool off, a judge ruled Thursday.
Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao were to face trial Aug. 23 on charges they aided and abetted both murder and manslaughter. Their co-defendant, Chauvin, was convicted in April of murder and manslaughter. All four officers also face federal charges that they violated Floydâs civil rights during his May 25 arrest.
FILE - This combination of photos provided by the Hennepin County Sheriff s Office in Minnesota on Wednesday, June 3, 2020, shows Minneapolis Police Officers Derek Chauvin, from left, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao. Hennepin County Sheriff s Office via AP, File
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) â The trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged with aiding and abetting in the death of George Floyd will be pushed back to March 2022, in part to allow the publicity over Derek Chauvin s conviction to cool off, a judge ruled Thursday.
Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao were scheduled to face trial Aug. 23 on charges they aided and abetted both murder and manslaughter. The officers co-defendant, Chauvin, was convicted of murder and manslaughter counts. All four officers also face federal charges that allege they violated Floyd s civil rights during his May 25 arrest.
Lawyers for three former Minneapolis police officers awaiting trial in the killing of George Floyd will appear in court to argue pre-trial motions, including a request that prosecutors be sanctioned over alleged leaks to the media that former officer Derek Chauvin had previously planned to plead guilty.
The lawyers representing Thomas Lane, J Kueng and Tou Thao have said they want the court to require prosecutors to submit affidavits under oath that they are not responsible for the leak to the media.
In a filing late on Wednesday, Thao’s lawyer also alleged that the Hennepin County medical examiner was coerced to include “neck compression” in his findings – and that prosecutors knew of it.