Trial For Ex-Officers Lane, Kueng, And Thao Will Be Televised

MINNEAPOLIS — The joint manslaughter trial against former Minneapolis police officers J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Kiernan Lane, and Tou Thao in the death of George Floyd will be televised and livestreamed, Judge Peter Cahill ruled Wednesday.

Local and national media companies have already begun giving their required notice of intent to broadcast the trial live.

A court spokesperson told Minnesota Public Radio that the original order that allowed for T.V. cameras in Derek Chauvin's trial will now be applied for the upcoming trial.

The trial is scheduled for Aug. 23 at the Hennepin County Government Center.

Kueng, Lane, and Thao all assisted Chauvin in detaining George Floyd on the day he died. Each face one count of aiding and abetting second degree unintentional murder and one count of aiding and abetting second degree manslaughter.

The four former officers — all of whom were fired the day after Floyd's Memorial Day 2020 death — were initially set to stand trial together. However, Judge Peter Cahill ordered that in January that Chauvin receive his own trial, citing concerns over the coronavirus.

If concivted, each officer faces a maximum of 40 years in prison, the same sentence Chauvin now faces after he was convicted on April 20 of second and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Chauvin will be sentenced on June 25.

Legal representation in the trial

Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Matthew Frank will represent the state as the lead prosecutor against the three former officers. However, prosecutors Jerry Blackwell and Steve Schleicher — who did the majority of the examininer for the state in Chauvin's case — are expected to be back for this trial, reports the Star Tribune.

Thao will be represented by defense attorney Robert Paule. Attorney Earl Gray will represent Lane, and Thomas Plunkett will represent Kueng.

Judge Peter Cahill — who oversaw Chauvin's trial — will preside in this trial as well.