Jury choice for the third and mostlikely last trial over the death of George Floyd was canceled Monday after one of the accuseds pleaded guilty and another waived his right to a jury trial.
Former Minneapolis cops officer J. Alexander Kueng pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree murder just priorto jury choice started Monday. Meanwhile, former officer Tou Thao waived his right to a jury trial and concurred to continue with a trial by stated proof, significance Judge Peter Cahill will deliver a decision.
Kueng, who was charged with assisting and abetting both murder and murder in Floyd’s death, will see the more major charge dropped and serve 3½. years in jail as part of his plea offer.
Prosecutors and defense lawyers for Thao, who turneddown a plea offer earlier this year, will send composed closing arguments and agreed-upon evidence to Cahill by Nov. 17, and Cahill will figureout his regret or innocence within 90 days. If Thao is foundedguilty on the lower charge, districtattorneys have concurred to drop the helping murder charge and Thao would mostlikely be sentenced to about 4 years in jail.
The joint trial of Thao and Kueng was the 3rd over Floyd’s death and mostlikely the last. Both previous officers are currently serving time on federal convictions of violating Floyd’s civil rights. Kueng will serve his state and federal sentences simultaneously.
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Here’s what we understand:
What were Kueng and Thao charged with?
The previous officers were charged with assisting and abetting second-degree murder and murder in Floyd’s death. Chauvin was foundedguilty of murder last year. While the charges and conviction of Chauvin were rare, legal professionals state the prosecution of the officers who stoppedworking to stop him is even less typical.
Kueng was seen in onlooker videos assisting restrain Floyd as previous officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than 9 minutes throughout the tried arrest on May 25,2020 Thao kept spectators away as Floyd, who was handcuffed and lying flat on his stomach, repeatedly stated, “I can’t breathe.”
As part of his plea contract, Kueng confessed to holding Floyd’s upperbody throughout the arrest, that he understood limiting a handcuffed individual in the vulnerable position produced a considerable danger, and that the restraint of Floyd was unreasonable.
What tookplace to the other officers?
Thomas Lane: The previous officer was sentenced to three years in jail Sept. 21 after pleading guilty to helping and abetting second-degree murder. He held down Floyd’s legs throughout the arrest.
Derek Chauvin: He was convicted on state charges of murder and murder as well as federal charges of breaking Floyd’s civil rights. He’s serving the 22½ -year state sentence simultaneously with a 21 year-federal sentence. Chauvin has appealed the state conviction, though it is unlikely he’ll besuccessful (90% of appeals are rejected throughout the United States).
Where does the officers’ federal case stand?
Thao, Lane and Kueng were sentenced earlier this year after being foundedguilty in federal court of breaking Floyd’s civil rights in February. Kueng was sentenced to 3 years, Thao to 3½ years and Lane was sentenced to 2½ years.
After the civil rights conviction, Lane took a plea offer on his state charges, which allows him to serve his state sentence in federal jail.
Why was the trial postponed?
The previous officer was supposed to stand trial with Chauvin, but Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill apart the trials duetothefactthat of COVID-19 constraints and heldoff them to permit the feder