George Floyd’s family allowed only 1 member in court for Derek Chauvin trial
The families of George Floyd and ex-cop Derek Chauvin will each get one seat in the courtroom for the accused killer’s murder trial, which is set to begin next week, a Minnesota judge announced Monday.
Judge Peter Cahill said different family members may take turns for each seat, but only with the appropriate credentials to be on the 18th floor of the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis, according to a newly filed court order outlining the rules for the much-anticipated trial.
Chauvin, who was caught on camera kneeling on Floyd’s neck as the unarmed Black man begged for his life, will be tried separately from the other three former officers who were at the scene when the handcuffed father died in police custody on Memorial Day. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Floyd’s family was not pleased with Cahill’s decision to limit the number of relatives in the courtroom.
“After a deeply painful and emotional year, the Floyd family is understandably disappointed by this ruling,” civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who’s representing the family, said in a tweet.
“The family is looking forward to the start of the Derek Chauvin trial as a critical milestone on the path to justice and a step toward closure in this dark chapter of their lives,” he wrote.
The judge’s order also requires each trial spectator to wear a mask at all times and stay at least 6 feet apart from each other. In addition, spectators may not communicate with jurors or potential jurors and are prohibited from wearing masks or other pieces of clothing featuring visible logos, letters, numbers or images — a move apparently aimed at preventing potential protests in the courtroom.
Jury selection is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Monday, lasting several days. The other three ex-cops — J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao — are expected to be tried in August.
Chauvin’s trial will be live-streamed.
