Jury selected for federal trial over George Floyd’s killing
Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng are accused of depriving George Floyd of his constitutional rights.[Hennepin County Jail]
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A jury has been selected in the federal trial of three Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s killing.
Eighteen jurors were chosen after questioning by the judge on Thursday. Twelve will deliberate and six are alternates.
J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao are broadly charged with depriving Floyd of his civil rights while acting under government authority. Separately, they’re charged in state court with aiding and abetting both murder and manslaughter.
Legal experts say the federal case will be more complicated than a pending state case against the officers, because prosecutors will have the difficult task of proving the men willfully did not take action.
U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson stressed repeatedly to jurors that fellow Officer Derek Chauvin’s conviction on state murder charges and guilty plea to a federal civil rights violation should not influence the proceedings.
Opening statements are set for Monday.