Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill's latest legal order makes it clear that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and space limitations, even in Hennepin County's largest courtroom, make it impossible to hold a trial for four defendants while complying with existing safety guidelines.
In its motion, the prosecution argued that putting off the trial until June 7 "appropriately balances the need to protect public health with the need to ensure that this case is resolved expeditiously."
Christopher Samayoa was days out of the Police Academy when he shot 42-year-old Keita O’Neil in the head during a police pursuit near the Alice Griffith housing projects on Dec. 1, 2017.
"No corner of the State of Minnesota has been shielded from pretrial publicity regarding the death of George Floyd. Because of that pervasive media coverage, a change of venue is unlikely to cure the taint of potential prejudicial pretrial publicity," the judge wrote.
A judge in Minnesota has dismissed a third-degree murder charge filed against an officer with the Minneapolis Police Department who is accused of causing the in-custody death of George Floyd in May.
Derek Chauvin, who is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and man-slaughter, was released from Oak Park Heights prison, where he had been held since May 31.
The Alameda County (CA) District Attorney announced Monday she has agreed to reopen the investigation into the 2009 shooting death of Oscar Grant following demands from the family to charge a former BART officer who was there when Grant was killed more than a decade ago.
In Monday’s filing, Gray doubled down on the idea that Floyd swallowed drugs while the officers were attempting to take him into custody, pointing to the disappearance of a white spot on Floyd’s tongue in the body camera video.
The attorney said he will argue that the charges against Thao are not supported by probable cause. Prosecutors must prove that Thao knew former officer Derek Chauvin and others were going to commit a crime and “intended his presence or actions to further the commission of that crime,” the motion says.
“I have to assume many of those officers who walked out won’t be coming back” said Atlanta Police Union representative Ken Allen.