A Minneapolis judge has ruled that the four former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd's death will be tried at the same time on March 8.
According to CNN, Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill also rejected a defense request for a change of venue in the trial on Thursday (November 5), ruling that it will be held in Hennepin county. Defense lawyers for the ex-cops initially argued that publicity surrounding the high-profile case "would prevent the officers from getting a fair trial and they raised safety concerns for the defendants and potential witnesses."
Judge Cahill, however, ruled that holding a single proceeding for the four officers would ensure that jurors understand "all of the evidence and the complete picture of Floyd's death," he wrote in his ruling, per CNN. Adding, "And it would allow this community, this State, and the nation to absorb the verdicts for the four Defendants at once.
In his Thursday ruling, Judge Cahill additionally granted a defense request to allow cameras in the courtroom for the ex-officers' trial.
Last month, Judge Cahill dropped a third-degree murder charge against Derek Chauvin — the former officer was filmed kneeling on Floyd’s neck for about eight minutes during the arrest on May 25 — leaving him to face charges of second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd's death.
The three other former officers — Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao — involved face multiple charges including, aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
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