A federal judge has agreed to temporarily pause his review of the consent decree between the U.S. Department of Justice and the city of Minneapolis, which would mandate sweeping reforms of the city’s Police Department.
Judge pauses review of Minneapolis police consent decree at request of U.S. Department of Justice
The federal government requested the review be paused 30 days to allow newly confirmed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi “to become more familiar with this matter.”
The Minnesota Star Tribune
February 20, 2025 at 3:10PM
In a Tuesday court filing, the federal government requested that Judge Paul Magnuson delay his review of the decree for 30 days to allow newly confirmed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi “to become more familiar with this matter.”
On Wednesday, Magnuson granted the request, according to online court records.
Minneapolis and federal officials scrambled in December and early January to come to terms on a consent decree before the inauguration of President Donald Trump, fearing his administration would prevent any federally mandated police reforms from taking effect.
The proposed consent decree is a result of a Justice Department investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department following the 2020 murder of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer.
The Justice Department released a report in June 2023, concluding the Police Department used unjustified deadly force, unlawfully discriminated against Black and Native American people, violated citizens’ free speech rights and at times caused trauma or death when responding to behavioral health crises.
The Minneapolis City Council approved the lengthy document Jan. 6, the same day it was submitted to Magnuson for his review. Magnuson provided 60 days to do so — which is now extended by another 30 days after Wednesday’s ruling.
Trump was inaugurated Jan. 20, and Bondi was sworn in as attorney general Feb. 5.
After the City Council’s approval on Jan. 6, a Justice Department official was asked multiple times during a press event if the Trump administration could still derail the agreement, but she declined to speculate.
“I can’t predict the future,” said Kristen Clarke of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. “What I can tell you is that the findings we identified in Minneapolis are severe. These are real issues that impact people’s lives. The community wants reform. The city wants reform, the police department wants reform, and the Justice Department stands here today as a full partner in the effort of achieving reform and transformation for this community.”
Whether the federal consent decree is ultimately implemented or not, Minneapolis is already about a year and a half into a similar court-enforceable agreement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, after the state performed its own investigation.
Some reforms included in the federal consent decree are already in motion under the state agreement.
Liz Sawyer of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed to this story.
The council recently voted to direct the city to return to its scrapped plan to limit traffic at the intersection where George Floyd was killed.
