Judge Rules No Livestream In State Trial For 3 Ex-Officers Charged In George Floyd's Death

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Hennepin County judge has ruled that there will be no livestream of the state trial for three former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd's death.

The trial for J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao is scheduled for June 13. All three were found guilty of depriving Floyd of his rights in a federal trial in February.

Extended Interview With Attorney Joe Tamburino

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On Monday afternoon, Judge Peter Cahill released a trial management order, saying that the prosecutors and defense have done a "180-degree reversal" in their positions on livestreaming the trial since the fall of 2020. The state, once opposed, is now in favor of the livestream while the defense was in favor, but is now not.

Cahill says the current rules stipulate that a district court can not be authorized to permit livestreaming of a criminal trial over the objection of a party "absent compelling justification to depart from the mandates" of that rule.

All three men face charges of aiding and abetting both murder and manslaughter in Floyd's killing. Former officer Derek Chauvin has already been convicted and sentenced for murdering Floyd. Chauvin also pleaded guilty in the federal trial.

Chauvin's trial was livestreamed, but the federal trial for the three other officers was not.