The judge overseeing the trial of four ex-Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd issued a gag order prohibiting any public discussion by those working on the case.
Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill’s Thursday order bars attorneys and others in the case from sharing “opinions, strategies, plans, or potential evidence,” according to the Star Tribune.
The Minneapolis paper also noted that the order came one day after an attorney spoke to its reporters about a motion filed to dismiss charges against one of the officers involved in the case. The judge added that two or more of the attorneys representing parties in the case have spoken to the media.
“The court finds that continuing pretrial publicity in this case by the attorneys involved will increase the risk of tainting a potential jury pool and will impair all parties’ right to a fair trial,” Cahill wrote.
Floyd died on May 25 after now ex-officer Derek Chauvin restrained him by kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes despite pleas that he couldn’t breathe. The video showing the incident went viral and prompted outrage around the globe.
Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. Three other officers who were involved with Floyd’s detainment, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng, were charged with aiding and abetting to the charges.
Earl Gray, an attorney for Lane, discussed his motion to dismiss charges against his client, citing a “lack of probable cause based on the entire record.” Gray said he wants to make two body camera videos he filed as part of his motion to be made available for public viewing, transcripts of which were released Wednesday.
Floyd’s death led to widespread protests across the nation and world, calling for an end to systemic racism and police brutality. The case has become extremely high-profile and has led to broader movements to reckon with racial inequality in the country.
