Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng had been due to go on trial next Monday on charges of aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter in the May 2020 death of George Floyd.
The judge also denied a motion by a coalition of media organizations, including The Associated Press, to reconsider of the proceedings from gavel to gavel. But he said he may reconsider if the Minnesota state court system revises its rules on cameras in the courts by Jan. 4.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office is prosecuting the case, said in a statement: “It’s unfortunate for the victims, the witnesses, and community that the opportunity to seek justice has been delayed. The State was ready for trial next week and will be ready next January.”The new trial schedule says pretrial motions will be held Jan. 5 and Jan. 6, with jury selection beginning Jan. 9.
Alan Tuerkheimer, a Chicago-based jury consultant, said the reason for the postponement seems like a “strange rationale.” He said he doesn’t see how a potential juror’s bias would subside with the passage of time, and with effective questioning, “jurors with bias can be weeded out today or tomorrow or in early 2023.”
Mike Brandt, a Minneapolis defense attorney who has been following the case, said although Cahill’s stated reason for the postponement is to dissipate the case’s notoriety, the decision is also likely pragmatic. He said pushing the trial back allows time for Thao and Kueng to be sentenced on their federal convictions first, increasing the likelihood of plea deals with the state.
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