MINNEAPOLIS – Prosecutors in cases opposed to four former Minneapolis police officers accused of George Floyd’s death said Monday that they needed an audio or visual policy of trials, but gave a reason.
Derek Chauvin and three other ex-worksmen are scheduled to stand trial in March. In a letter filed with the court on Monday, the state said it “does not conform to the audio or video policy of any trial in such cases.” The letter did not specify the reasons for the state, and a message left to the attorney general’s workplace returned not without delay.
Under Minnesota court rules, a judgment handed down would likely authorize the recording and rebuttal of criminal proceedings if either party consents. Judge Peter Cahill has not yet ruled on the issue, however, the state’s position makes it unlikely to allow the cameras at trial.
Last month, Cahill made the decision that cameras would not be allowed in the initial proceedings, after prosecutors objected. At the time, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said allowing cameras in the courtroom “will create more unrest than it resolves,” turning the way lawyers provide evidence and perhaps intimidate witnesses.
Floyd, who is black, died on May 25 after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee opposite the man’s neck for about 8 minutes. Chauvin is charged with momentary murder, third-degree murder and momentary-degree murder. J. Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao are charged with being accomplices to murder and manslaughter. All four officers were fired after Floyd’s death.
The defense suggested that they would be open to the audio and visual policy of the trials, saying that the recordings were mandatory to ensure a fair trial for officials, especially a pandemic when public access to the courtroom is restricted.