A judge on Thursday postponed the trial of the three former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s death alongside Derek Chauvin until March of next year.
The judge cited the federal civil rights case launched against them by the Justice Department earlier this month.
The three former officers—Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane—were originally set to stand trial together on charges of aiding and abetting in August of this year.
However, Hennepin County Judge Peter A. Cahill, who presided over Chauvin’s trial, said Thursday the date should be pushed back to allow the federal case, which involves charges against all four former officers for violating Floyd’s civil rights during his fatal arrest, to move forward first.
Cahill added that he was changing the date to drive more separation from Chauvin’s trial due to the high level of media attention it attracted.
The decision came as attorneys representing the three officers argued pre-trial motions during a Thursday court hearing.
Recall that Chauvin was found guilty of murdering Floyd after a nearly three-week trial that wrapped up late last month.
A slew of medical experts called on by the prosecution testified Floyd died from the prolonged neck restraint Chauvin held him in, while Baker testified the force from the police officers overwhelmed Floyd’s already overburdened heart (he had underlying health conditions).
Chauvin is yet to be sentenced in the case, but a judge on Wednesday ruled he could qualify for a longer than recommended sentence due to the “particular cruelty” with which he treated Floyd during the arrest.
