A Minnesota judge heard arguments Monday on whether he has the authority to allow live video coverage of the upcoming trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged with aiding and abetting the murder of George Floyd, while prosecutors revealed that the three rejected a plea deal in March.
Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill took the rare step of allowing live audiovisual coverage of ex-Officer Derek Chauvin's murder trial last year, making an exception to the normal rules of Minnesota courts. He cited the extenuating circumstance of the need to balance protecting participants from COVID-19 against the constitutional requirement for a public trial.
Lane's attorney, Earl Gray, said it was hard for the defense to negotiate when the three still don't know what their federal sentences will be. The judge in that case has not set a sentencing date, and all three remain free on bail. “The public is just not going to understand why they got to watch that one gavel to gavel and they won't be able to watch this one,” Walker said.
Minnesota court rules generally require the consent of all parties for audiovisual coverage of trials, with fewer restrictions for sentencings. Chauvin's trial was the first in Minnesota to be entirely televised, from jury selection to his murder conviction to his sentencing to 22 1/2 years in prison. People worldwide tuned into the livestreams.
“The Chauvin trial demonstrated the benefits of robust public access to this important case and proved that the Court could successfully navigate the concerns animating the State's initial opposition to audio and video coverage,” prosecutors wrote last week. “The Court's commendable transparency inspired public confidence in the proceedings and helped ensure calm in Minneapolis and across the country.
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