Former Minneapolis Police Officers J. Alexander Kueng (R) and Tou Thao (L) arrive with and attorney Thomas Plunkett (C) at the US District Court in St. Paul in January. Photo: Kerem Yucel / AFP
The upcoming criminal trial of two former Minneapolis police officers charged in connection with George Floyd's death has been postponed until 2023.
The big picture: Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng were set to stand trial on aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter charges starting next week.
- But on Monday, Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill moved the start date to Jan. 5 over concerns that the former officers wouldn't get a fair trial due to coverage of other recent developments related to the case.
Context: Thao and Kueng were both at the scene when Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck for more than 9 minutes
- A fourth officer, Thomas Lane, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting manslaughter last month. The recommended sentence is three years.
Flashback: A federal jury convicted Lane, Keung and Thao on federal civil rights charges in February.
- Chauvin, who pleaded guilty to the federal counts, was convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in a separate trial last year. He is currently appealing his conviction.
The intrigue: With such a long runway until the rescheduled trial, Thao and Kueng could still strike a plea deal with prosecutors before the proceedings begin.
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