A Minnesota judge has ruled that only one member of George Floyd’s family will be allowed inside the courtroom at a time during the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill ruled on Tuesday that while only one of Floyd’s family members can be physically inside the room at a time, they can rotate with different members of the family sitting in on the trial on different days, according to NBC News. Chauvin’s family must also comply with the rule, which was decided because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Floyd’s attorneys, Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, released a joint statement after the ruling saying many of Floyd’s family members anticipated being on hand during the trial, set to begin next week. The two said this past year has been a “deeply painful and emotional” one for the family.
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“While they understand the judge’s reasons to limit attendance in the courtroom, the family is understandably disappointed by this ruling. The family is looking forward to the start of the trial as a critical milestone on the path to justice and a step toward closure in this dark chapter of their lives,” the statement read.
NEWS ALERT: @AttorneyCrump and @TonyRomanucci issue statement on judge’s ruling to only allow one of George Floyd’s family members to attend Derek Chauvin’s criminal trial. pic.twitter.com/6EPkqHKZOk
— Ben Crump Law, PLLC (@BenCrumpLaw) March 2, 2021
In addition to the attendance restrictions, Cahill said family members present at the trial must socially distance and wear face coverings, although the ruling forbids “any mask or article of clothing that contains any image, logo, letters, or numbers that are visible.”
Chauvin is facing second-degree murder and manslaughter charges that came after video was released last summer that showed the former officer, a white man, kneeling on the neck of Floyd, a black man, for nearly nine minutes while he said he couldn’t breathe. Floyd died shortly after the incident.
The video sparked protests and riots across the country, and, with the start of the trial, Minneapolis and local businesses are bracing for potentially more violence. The City Council approved upward of $1.5 million for new security measures to minimize potential damage, and businesses have begun boarding up. The council voted to approve paying social media influencers to spread city-approved messaging during the trial.
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The trial is set to begin Monday, with jury selection and opening arguments in the case expected to start on March 29.
