MINNEAPOLIS — State prosecutors are appealing a decision to hold separate trials in the death of George Floyd.
Former officer Derek Chauvin's trial is scheduled to begin March 8, while the other three officers charged – Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao – have their trial scheduled for August.
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd's death in May 2020. Kueng, Thao and Lane are each charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder, and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
According to court documents submitted on Thursday, the prosecution is requesting the Court of Appeals rejoin the trials.
On Jan. 11, Judge Peter Cahill ordered Chauvin to stand trial in March, while the other former officers will go to trial in late summer. At the time, Cahill noted the difficulty of holding a joint trial with a large number of participants and the need to maintain COVID-19 safety measures.
State prosecutors requested on Jan. 21 that the decision to hold separate trials be reconsidered, however, a Hennepin County judge denied the request.
In a flurry of separate motions on Friday, prosecutors asked the court to prohibit the defense from filing expert reports until the judge determines if they are admissible at trial. The state's motion claims that publicly submitting such reports before the court has a chance to review them could prejudice a potential jury.