Trial for 2 ex-Minneapolis cops moved to October

Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill has moved the trial for two former Minneapolis police officers connected to George Floyd's murder once again.

Both state prosecutors and the defense had made motions to delay the trial — for J Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao — and Cahill granted the delay on Tuesday. Court records show the trial will now begin on Oct. 24. It was expected to start earlier this month, but Cahill had postponed it until January as of June 6.

The state requested a speedy trial "on the behalf of the family of George Floyd," court documents say. 

Attorneys from both sides agreed on the Oct. 24 start date, plus a scheduled hearing on pretrial motions for Sept. 26-27. 

Kueng and Thao are each charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter in relation to Floyd's death. Their fellow ex-officer, Thomas Lane, accepted a plea deal last month, which avoids a state trial. Lane will serve three years in prison, according to his agreement.

Court documents show that the attorneys representing Kueng and Thao have argued for a venue change due to the highly public nature of the case. 

The state has argued that the pair are seeking "to hamstring the State and leave the jury with a skewed account of what occurred," further stating that the "motions have nothing to do with promoting trial efficiency or ensuring the jury receives an accurate account of the events that occurred" in May 2020.

Cahill didn't budge with his decision to keep the venue the same, explaining that the pretrial coverage and the trial itself was covered all throughout Minnesota, making it pointless to move.

Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years for the murder of Floyd last year.