The trial for three former Minneapolis police officers charged by state prosecutors with aiding and abetting the murder of George Floyd has been moved to March 7, 2022, Minneapolis NBC affiliate KARE11 reports.
Why it matters: Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill said he wanted to move the date from Aug. 23 to accommodate a new federal case against the officers and Derek Chauvin, who has already been convicted on state charges for Floyd's murder, per AP.
- Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J.A. Kueng and Tou Thao were indicted by a federal grand jury last week for civil rights violations related to Floyd's death.
- Cahill also said he felt the need to delay the three officers' trial due to the recency of Chauvin's trial, which garnered national attention for weeks leading up to his conviction on April 20.
Between the lines: Earlier this week, Cahill determined the participation of the three officers' in Floyd's arrest to be an aggravating factor in weighing whether to side with state prosecutors who are seeking a more severe sentence against Chauvin.
- Cahill found that the crime was committed "as a group with the active participation of at least three" other officers.
