Minnesota judge lifts gag order on four officers in George Floyd murder case
by Madison Dibble, Breaking News Reporter |
| July 22, 2020 11:38 AM
The four former Minneapolis police officers who have been charged in connection with the death of George Floyd may now be able to tell their side of the story to the public.
A Minnesota judge lifted on Tuesday a gag order that was placed on the officers upon their arrest in response to opposition from their attorneys and a coalition of press organizations.
Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill, the judge who issued the gag order and now has removed it, feared that pretrial publicity could further taint the jury pool and make it difficult for either side to have an unbiased hearing. The attorneys for the officers argued that public officials, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, had already made statements that could taint the jury so their clients should be allowed to speak to the press.
The attorney for Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis officer who was filmed kneeling on Floyd's neck for several minutes during the arrest, said that his client has been called a murderer by many public figures and pundits for months. The attorney argued that the court would struggle to find any publicity in Chauvin's defense.
more
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/minnesota-judge-lifts-gag-order-on-four-officers-in-george-floyd-murder-case
