3 Chicago Officers Charged in Laquan McDonald Case to Choose Bench Trial

Lawyers for three Chicago police officers charged with impeding an investigation into the fatal police shooting of teenager Laquan McDonald said Thursday they plan for a Cook County judge to decide the outcome of the officers' trials, not a jury.

Judge Domenica Stephenson set the trial tentatively for July 10, reports the Chicago Tribune .

The charges against former Detective David March, ex-Officer Joseph Walsh, and Officer Thomas Gaffney allege that the three officers lied to exaggerate the threat posed by 17-year-old McDonald, who had PCP in his system and had damaged a police car while armed with a knife.

The special prosecutors appointed to handle the case told Stephenson on Thursday that they anticipate the trial for all three will take less than a week. They face charges of obstruction of justice, official misconduct and conspiracy.