Ex-officers in Floyd case to be tried together

In an important win for the prosecution, a judge in Minneapolis on Thursday ruled that the four officers charged in the killing of George Floyd, a Black man who took some of his last breaths under the knee of a White officer on a Minneapolis street corner in May, will stand trial together.

The judge also ruled that the news media can broadcast the trial, scheduled for next spring — an unusual move in Minneapolis, where courts are generally closed to cameras. The judge cited the coronavirus pandemic, which limits the number of people who can be in the courtroom at any time, and the immense national and international interest in the case.

“Protests demanding justice for George Floyd continue,” the judge, Peter Cahill of Hennepin County, wrote in his ruling. “It is expected that, even with some overflow courtrooms, the demand by family members, the public, and the press to attend the joint trial will outstrip the court’s ability to provide meaningful access.”

Cahill also said the trial will remain — for now — in the Twin Cities, although he left open the possibility of moving it later if the court is unable to seat a jury untainted by the vast publicity the case has already generated.

Derek Chauvin is charged with second- degree murder and second- degree manslaughter and faces 40 years in prison if convicted. The other officers, including two rookies who had aided Chauvin in pinning Floyd to the pavement in front of a convenience store, are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.