Three Former Minneapolis Police Officers Face Federal Trial for George Floyd's Death
The federal trial for three former Minneapolis police officers, J. Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao, is set to begin Thursday, as they face charges of violating George Floyd's constitutional rights while Officer Derek Chauvin used his knee to pin Floyd to the ground. The officers are broadly charged with depriving Floyd of his civil rights while acting under government authority, and separately, they are charged in state court with aiding and abetting both murder and manslaughter.
The federal trial is expected to be more complicated than the state trial, scheduled for June 13, as prosecutors must prove that the officers willfully violated Floyd's constitutional rights. "In the state case, they're charged with what they did. That they aided and abetted Chauvin in some way. In the federal case, they're charged with what they didn't do -- and that's an important distinction. It's a different kind of accountability," said Mark Osler, a former federal prosecutor and professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law.
The process of selecting a jury for the federal trial is expected to take at least two days, with potential jurors being questioned in groups by U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson. A total of 40 jurors will be chosen, including 12 who will deliberate and six alternates.
Key Takeaways:
- The three former Minneapolis police officers, J. Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao, face federal charges of violating George Floyd's constitutional rights while Officer Derek Chauvin used his knee to pin Floyd to the ground.
- The federal trial is expected to be more complicated than the state trial, as prosecutors must prove that the officers willfully violated Floyd's constitutional rights.
- The officers are also charged in state court with aiding and abetting both murder and manslaughter.
- Federal prosecutors face a high legal standard to show that an officer willfully deprived someone of their constitutional rights.
- The indictment alleges that the three men saw Floyd clearly needed medical care and failed to aid him, resulting in his death.
- Federal civil rights violations that result in death are punishable by up to life in prison or even death, but those stiff sentences are extremely rare.
Statistics:
- 40 potential jurors will be questioned by U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson in the federal trial for the three former Minneapolis police officers.
- A total of 12 jurors will be selected for the federal trial, including six alternates.
- The federal trial is expected to take at least two days to select the jury.
- 9 1/2 minutes was the time it took for George Floyd to die while pinned to the ground by Officer Derek Chauvin's knee.
Sources:
- AP news wire
- University of St. Thomas School of Law
- U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
- AP's full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd