Trial delayed for two ex-MPD officers charged in George Floyd's death

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.