GUILTY MN - George Floyd, 46, killed in police custody, Minneapolis, 25 May 2020 #21

[sds71]

Jury selected for federal trial over George Floyd’s killing

 

[Jax49]

Jury selected for federal trial over George Floyd’s killing

Wow, that was fast.

 

[Niner]

Chauvin - Tax evasion:

04/01/2022 Pre-trial (1:00 PM) (Judicial Officer Hawley, Sheridan)
01/21/2022 Continued to 04/01/2022 - Attorney Unavailable - Chauvin, Derek Michael

link: https://pa.courts.state.mn.us/CaseDetail.aspx?CaseID=1628217692

 

[Kristin Esq.]

@Niner

Jury in federal trial in Floyd killing appears mostly white

[...]

Jury selection took just one day for the federal trial. The judge said opening statements would be Monday, with the court taking up some evidentiary matters on Friday.

[...]

Among the jurors Magnuson excused was a man who said he has a problem watching video of Floyd’s arrest. Several other excused jurors said they could not be impartial, including a man who said his faith also prevents him from judging a human being.

One woman was excused after she said she had difficulty with vandalism in the community. Afterward, Magnuson said he understood such concerns about “anarchy in streets” but “that fear cannot control in a courtroom.”

The jury pool was selected from throughout the state — much more conservative and less diverse than the Minneapolis area from which the jury for Chauvin’s state trial was drawn. That jury was evenly divided among whites and nonwhites. The federal court declined a request to provide demographic information on jurors in the civil rights trial.

[...]

 

[Niner]

Thanks for the new info @Kristin Esq. - I asked a Mod to delete my #102 post - And I'll post a correct one!

 

[Niner]

Replaces post #102 - which will probably be deleted.

Friday, January 21st:
*Evidentiary Hearing (@ am CT) –MN - *Federal Grand Jury indicted & charged (5/7/21) & arraigned (9/14/21) Tou Thao (34/now 36) & J. Alexander Kueng (26/now 28) for violated Floyd’s civil rights. Charged with violating Floyd's right to be free from unreasonable seizure, alleging they willfully failed to intervene to stop Chauvin’s unreasonable force, resulting in bodily injury to & the death of Mr. Floyd & failure to provide Floyd with medical care. Thomas Kiernan Lane (37/now 38) is charged with failure to provide Floyd with medical care. All released on $25K unsecured bonds. All plead not guilty on 9/14/21.
Trial began on 1/20/22 with jury selection. Jurors were selected. 12 jurors & 6 alternates. Trial will begin on 1/24/22 with opening statements.
Info on indictment of 5/7/21 & court info from 5/15/21 thru 1/12/22 reference post #93 here:
GUILTY - MN - George Floyd, 46, killed in police custody, Minneapolis, 25 May 2020 #21
1/20/22 Jury Selection Day 1: Potential jurors in the federal trial are being questioned by U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson & subjected to an extensive questionnaire. Magnuson said the the selection of an initial group of 40 potential jurors could be completed in two days. Eventually, the group will be widdled down to 18, which will include six alternates. A jury of 18 people who appeared mostly white was picked Thursday for the federal trial. The jurors chosen to hear the case include one person of Asian descent among the 12 jurors who would deliberate if no alternates are needed & a second person of Asian descent among the six alternates, with all others appearing white. The court declined to provide demographic information. The judge said opening statements would be Monday, 1/24/22, with the court taking up some evidentiary matters on Friday, 1/21/22.
MN (State case) – George Perry Floyd, Jr. (46) (May 25, 2020, Minneapolis, arrested for forgery & killed in police custody) – Tou Thao (34/now 36), Thomas Kiernan Lane (37/now 38), & J. Alexander Kueng (26/now 28) - Trial set to begin on 6/13/22.
Bond conditions & court info from 6/3/20 to 8/17/21 reference post #979 here:
GUILTY - MN - George Floyd, 46, killed in police custody, Minneapolis, 25 May 2020 #20

 

[Niner]

Here's a good article on the jury selection.

LIVE UPDATES: Jury selected in federal trial for 3 ex-officers charged in George Floyd's death

 

[Niner]

Access again an issue at federal trial in Floyd's killing

Jan. 21, 2022
A closed hearing in the federal trial of three former Minneapolis police officers in George Floyd’s killing was canceled Friday after prosecutors and the media objected, the second time in just days that access to the proceedings became an issue.

U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson scheduled the conference on the admissibility of some evidence that attorneys for Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane sought to block. After prosecutors and news media objected, Magnuson canceled the hearing and met with attorneys in chambers instead.

No details of the meeting were immediately released.
[.....]
Media groups earlier this week raised concerns about restrictions on journalists and spectators in the courtroom. Magnuson, citing the coronavirus pandemic, initially set aside just two seats for reporters and none for family members during jury selection, which was completed in one day. He raised that to four seats for reporters during jury selection — the same as planned for the trial phase — but rejected other media requests, including sharing of evidence exhibits.
[.....]
The original hearing was set to deal with defense motions to exclude certain evidence, including still images from videos the day of Floyd’s death; side-by-side exhibits that will play two videos at once; and dispatch and 911 calls, according to a filing late Thursday from prosecutors objecting to Friday's closure.

 

[Niner]

Found an article with jury info.

Here's the jury for the federal trial of 3 former MPD officers | kare11.com

Jan. 21, 2022

While federal courts don't provide a detailed demographic of the jury, here's what we know about the people selected to hear the case:

The first juror is a man who has lived in Hennepin County for 6 months and has a master's degree in architecture.

The second juror is a man who has lived in Hennepin County for 47 years. He works retail at a large department store and has a degree in teaching.

The third juror is a man who has lived in Olmsted County for 55 years and has a bachelor's degree.

The fourth juror is a woman who has lived in Ramsey County for 18 years. She is a director of public affairs for the local government.

The fifth juror is a woman who has lived in Blue Earth County for 37 years. She is an accountant for a feed company and has a business administration degree.

The sixth juror is a woman who has lived in Washington County for 15 years. She works for a large local Co-op with her husband and has a bachelor's degree with a business minor.

The seventh juror is a man who has lived in Ramsey County for three years and is a state government project manager. He has a geology degree.

The eighth juror is a woman who has lived in Anoka County for 12 years. She is a customer relations manager.

The ninth juror is a woman who has lived in Jackson County for 16 years.

The 10th juror is man who has lived in Hennepin County for 30 years, and is a maintenance and facilities manager in Eden Prairie.

The 11th juror is a woman who has lived in Washington County for four or five years. She's a social worker and has her master's degree in social work.

The 12th juror is a woman who has lived in Scott County for 3.5 years. She has her master's degree.

• The first alternate is a man who has lived in Ramsey County for about 40 years. He has a data company in Eagan.
• The second alternate is a woman who has lived in Olmsted County for 19 years. She is a food service worker at a hospital.
• The third alternate is a retired woman who has lived in Nicollet County for eight years. She was a chef at an Indiana hospital.
• The fourth alternate is father of four who has lived in Ramsey County for about 30 years. He works in home mortgages at Wells Fargo.
• The fifth alternate is a retired man who has lived in Hennepin County for 71 years. He has his master's in business administration and worked as a global business manager at a corporation he worked at for 30 years. We was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps.
• The sixth alternate is a woman who has lived in Anoka County for six years. She's a publishing graphics specialist.

 

[Niner]

Monday, January 24th:
*Trial begins (Day 1) (@ 10am CT) –MN - *Federal Grand Jury indicted & charged (5/7/21) & arraigned (9/14/21) Tou Thao (34/now 36) & J. Alexander Kueng (26/now 28) for violated Floyd’s civil rights. Charged with violating Floyd's right to be free from unreasonable seizure, alleging they willfully failed to intervene to stop Chauvin’s unreasonable force, resulting in bodily injury to & the death of Mr. Floyd & failure to provide Floyd with medical care. Thomas Kiernan Lane (37/now 38) is charged with failure to provide Floyd with medical care. All released on $25K unsecured bonds. All plead not guilty on 9/14/21.
Trial began on 1/20/22 with jury selection. Jurors were selected. 12 jurors: 5 men & 7 women & alternates: 3 men & 3 women. Trial will begin on 1/24/22 with opening statements.
Info on indictment of 5/7/21 & court info from 5/15/21 thru 1/12/22 & Jury Selection (1/20/22) reference post #104 here:
GUILTY - MN - George Floyd, 46, killed in police custody, Minneapolis, 25 May 2020 #21
1/21/22 Update: A closed hearing was canceled Friday after prosecutors & the media objected, the second time in just days that access to the proceedings became an issue. U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson scheduled the conference on the admissibility of some evidence that attorneys for Thao, Kueng & Lane sought to block. After prosecutors & news media objected, Magnuson canceled the hearing & met with attorneys in chambers instead. No details of the meeting were immediately released. The original hearing was set to deal with defense motions to exclude certain evidence, including still images from videos the day of Floyd’s death; side-by-side exhibits that will play two videos at once; and dispatch & 911 calls, according to a filing late Thursday from prosecutors objecting to Friday's closure. Trial starts on Monday, 1/24/22 with opening statements.
MN (State case) – George Perry Floyd, Jr. (46) (May 25, 2020, Minneapolis, arrested for forgery & killed in police custody) – Tou Thao (34/now 36), Thomas Kiernan Lane (37/now 38), & J. Alexander Kueng (26/now 28) - Trial set to begin on 6/13/22.
Bond conditions & court info from 6/3/20 to 8/17/21 reference post #979 here:
GUILTY - MN - George Floyd, 46, killed in police custody, Minneapolis, 25 May 2020 #20

 

[Kristin Esq.]

Here is a Twitter Thread with live tweets about the trial;

https://twitter.com/WCCO/status/1485673199048265731

 

[Kristin Esq.]

Judge returns to court, thanks jurors for their participation in the trial. All 18 jurors, including 6 alternates, are sworn in. Judge says jurors should be careful during the pandemic and inform the court right away if they (or someone close to them) test positive for COVID.

WCCO - CBS Minnesota
@WCCO
·
1h

Judge reads indictments against the 3 ex-officers... all charged with depriving #GeorgeFloyd of his civil rights on May 25, 2020. Judge reads instructions to the jury, saying it's the burden of federal prosecutors to prove the defendants guilty. The verdict must be unanimous.

WCCO - CBS Minnesota
@WCCO
·
1h

Opening statements begin with US prosecutor saying "In you custody is in your care" is an important part of policing. Prosecutor says the 3 officers "didn't lift a finger" when #GeorgeFloyd said he couldn't breathe; they ignored their training and bystanders' pleas to aid him.

WCCO - CBS Minnesota
@WCCO
·
1h

Opening statements first bring up Tou Thao’s actions that day, saying that he mentioned “this is why you don’t do drugs” to bystanders as #GeorgeFloyd was losing consciousness. Prosecutor says it was Thao's duty to provide care to Floyd.

Prosecutor says J. Alexander Kueng was more concerned about a piece of gravel stuck in the squad's tire than George Floyd. Kueng was kneeling on Floyd around the waist. Prosecutor says Kueng didn't do anything to help Floyd despite not finding a pulse.

WCCO - CBS Minnesota
@WCCO
·
1h

Prosecutor Samantha Trepel says Thomas Lane, who held #GeorgeFloyd's legs, asked if they should roll Floyd over, but Kueng refused. Derek Chauvin also refused. Lane asked a second time later, and no one answered. Instead of helping, prosecutor says he did nothing.
WCCO - CBS Minnesota
@WCCO
·
1h

Prosecutor Samantha Trepel says turning #GeorgeFloyd on his side, called the "side recovery position," would have saved his life if the ex-officers had acted and moved him before his heart stopped. Trepel says they were trained to do that.

WCCO - CBS Minnesota
@WCCO
·
1h

Reiterating the "in your custody is in your care" point, Samantha Trepel ends opening statement by saying prosecutors are asking the jury to find these ex-officers accountable for not aiding #GeorgeFloyd.

Court takes a morning break before opening statements from defense attorney.
WCCO - CBS Minnesota
@WCCO
·
56m

Defense attorney Robert Paule begins opening statement. Robert and Natalie Paule represent Tou Thao. Robert Paule starts by saying that this is a tragic incident. He's showing jurors where the incident occurred, outside Cup Foods in south Minneapolis.

WCCO - CBS Minnesota
@WCCO
·
54m

Paule says the viral video of Floyd’s arrest and death is not the entire story. Paule says it began previously with a Cup Foods employee reporting that a customer, #GeorgeFloyd, passed a counterfeit bill.

WCCO - CBS Minnesota
@WCCO
·
44m

Defense attorney Robert Paule is running through the arrest of #GeorgeFloyd, including getting Floyd out of an SUV prior to being put in the prone position. Paule says it's to show the behavior that Floyd was presenting at the time, including his attempts to fall to the ground.
WCCO - CBS Minnesota
@WCCO
·
37m

Defense attorney says officers noted that #GeorgeFloyd was acting erratically and had froth on the side of his mouth. When asked about this, Floyd apparently said he was “hooping,” which can mean a couple things.

WCCO - CBS Minnesota
@WCCO
·
37m

Defense attorney notes that drugs were found in the SUV Floyd was initially in, and a small glass pipe was found on Floyd later.

Robert Paule says during the arrest Tou Thao asked #GeorgeFloyd “what are you on?” Meanwhile, EMS services were already en route from Hennepin Healthcare. Thao, seeing that Floyd was restrained by other officers, did crowd control.

WCCO - CBS Minnesota
@WCCO
·
27m

Defense attorney Paule says prosecutors will need to prove that Thao "willfully" deprived #GeorgeFloyd of his constitutional rights.

WCCO - CBS Minnesota
@WCCO
·
24m

In concluding his opening statement, Robert Paule says officers encounter dangerous situations while on the job, and use of force can look disturbing and be difficult to watch. Paule says the only just verdict is a not guilty verdict. Kueng's attorney Thomas Plunkett is next.

Defense attorney Thomas Plunkett says the viral video is not what J. Alexander Kueng saw that day, or experienced. Kueng couldn't see the bystanders, nor could they see him. #GeorgeFloyd

Plunkett says ex-officer Kueng was thrust into a situation with a lack of training and experience. He also had the confidence in a veteran officer, Derek Chauvin. Plunkett says #GeorgeFloyd and Kueng were let down by the Mpls. Police Department.

Plunkett, like fellow defense attorney Robert Paule, emphasizes that prosecutors will need to prove that Kueng "willfully" deprived #GeorgeFloyd of his constitutional rights.

 

[Dotta]

"In your custody means in your care"
just sums this case up.

Thanks for updates!

 

[Chelly]

Thanks @Niner and @Kristin Esq. for staying on top of this. I've been asleep at the switch. (Federal trials make me crazy.)

 

[Niner]

Yes, thank you @Kristin Esq. for the tweets - makes my job a bit easier!

 

[Dotta]

"They used force, rather than stopping force"

https://www-dailymail-co-uk.cdn.amp...gin-cops-accused-violating-Floyds-rights.html

 

[Niner]

Tuesday, January 25th:
*Trial continues (Day 2) (@ 9:30am CT) –MN - *Federal Grand Jury indicted & charged (5/7/21) & arraigned (9/14/21) Tou Thao (34/now 36) & J. Alexander Kueng (26/now 28) for violated Floyd’s civil rights. Charged with violating Floyd's right to be free from unreasonable seizure, alleging they willfully failed to intervene to stop Chauvin’s unreasonable force, resulting in bodily injury to & the death of Mr. Floyd & failure to provide Floyd with medical care. Thomas Kiernan Lane (37/now 38) is charged with failure to provide Floyd with medical care. All released on $25K unsecured bonds. All plead not guilty on 9/14/21.
Trial began on 1/20/22 with jury selection. Jurors were selected. 12 jurors: 5 men & 7 women & alternates: 3 men & 3 women. Trial began on 1/24/22 with opening statements.
Info on indictment of 5/7/21 & court info from 5/15/21 thru 1/21/22 & Jury Selection (1/20/22) reference post #108 here:
GUILTY - MN - George Floyd, 46, killed in police custody, Minneapolis, 25 May 2020 #21
1/24/22 Monday, Trial Day 1: Judge swears in the 18 jurors. Judge reads indictments against the 3 ex-officers. All charged with depriving Floyd of his civil rights on May 25, 2020. Judge reads instructions to the jury, saying it's the burden of federal prosecutors to prove the defendants’ guilty. The verdict must be unanimous. Opening statements begin with U.S. prosecutor Samantha Trepel. First brought up Thao’s actions that day. Prosecutor said Kueng was more concerned about a piece of gravel stuck in the squad's tire than with Floyd. Lane, who held Floyd's legs, asked if they should roll Floyd over, but Kueng refused. Chauvin also refused. Lane asked a second time later & no one answered. Instead of helping, prosecutor says he did nothing. Reiterating the "in your custody is in your care" point. Defense attorney Robert Paule begins opening statement. Robert & Natalie Paule represent Thao. Paule is running through the arrest of Floyd. Defense attorney Thomas Plunkett for Kueng up for opening statements. Says ex-officer Kueng was thrust into a situation with a lack of training & experience. Looking to Chauvin for instruction. Emphasizes that prosecutors will need to prove that Kueng "willfully" deprived Floyd of his constitutional rights (as did attorney Paule).
Government witnesses: Kimberly Meline of the FBI. Works for the Multimedia Exploitation Unit. Meline ran through the various video sources that captured the incident, including several surveillance and traffic cameras near 38th & Chicago. Meline said she synced videos from body camera footage/bystander videos, traffic cameras to body cameras, etc. jury was being shown video from Lane's body worn camera. It begins with Lane & Kueng arriving at the scene in their squad vehicle, entering Cup Foods briefly * then approaching the SUV with Floyd inside. Video ends with Floyd inside the ambulance & Lane assisting in treatment. Trial continues on 1/25/22.
MN (State case) – George Perry Floyd, Jr. (46) (May 25, 2020, Minneapolis, arrested for forgery & killed in police custody) – Tou Thao (34/now 36), Thomas Kiernan Lane (37/now 38), & J. Alexander Kueng (26/now 28) - Trial set to begin on 6/13/22.
Bond conditions & court info from 6/3/20 to 8/17/21 reference post #979 here:
GUILTY - MN - George Floyd, 46, killed in police custody, Minneapolis, 25 May 2020 #20

 

[imstilla.grandma]

"In your custody means in your care"
just sums this case up.

Thanks for updates!

Prosecutors: Video will show 3 cops violated Floyd's rights

 

[imstilla.grandma]

May 25, 2020

 

[Kristin Esq.]

Yes, thank you @Kristin Esq. for the tweets - makes my job a bit easier!

I did stop halfway through the day so there was probably more. I had some things I needed to take care of.