Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin's March trial in George Floyd's death could delay many other jury trials in Hennepin County due to security concerns.
Hennepin County Chief Judge Toddrick Barnette e-mailed the county's judges Tuesday with guidelines for delaying felony jury trials in light of Chauvin's trial and new COVID-19 guidance from the Minnesota Supreme Court, adding to a backlog of cases from others that were previously postponed because of the pandemic.
Barnette wrote that demands for a speedy trial made by defendants who are in custody, or in jail, will move forward, but the same demands from defendants who are out of custody will undergo additional scrutiny for possible exceptions until after Chauvin's trial.
"Why?" the judge wrote. "I'm concerned about protest and security related to this trial."
Barnette and the court did not return a message seeking comment on how many cases could be impacted, how exceptions would be granted and how the court would deal with its growing backlog of cases.
Jury selection in Chauvin's trial begins March 8. Opening statements are expected to begin March 29, with testimony and the presentation of evidence — which could take weeks — to follow.
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter for kneeling on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes last May 25.
The U.S. and Minnesota constitutions guarantee defendants, whether jailed or not, the right to a speedy trial. State law calls for a trial to commence within 60 days of a speedy trial demand.