(WCCO) Derek Chauvin, the officer infamously captured on video with his knee on George Floyd's neck, faces a court hearing today along with the three officers charged with aiding and abetting Floyd's murder.
Chauvin, charged with manslaughter and second-degree murder, is expected to appear remotely while the others -- J. Alexander Kueng, Tou Thao and Thomas Lane -- will appear in person. None of the defendants has yet pleaded to the charges.
Possible bail reduction and whether the four will be tried separately or together are expected to be topics at the hearing.
No cameras will be allowed in court.
This is the second pre-trial hearing, and the first hearing since Lane and Kueng were released from jail after making $750,000 bail. Supporters of Lane, named as family members by TMZ, sought donations on his behalf through an online platform, claiming he did everything he could to save Floyd's life.
"Thomas Lane called the CODE 3 for the Ambulance while Mr. Floyd was still talking, prior to him losing consciousness. Because of the chain of command, Thomas Lane was told to hold his position even after he suggested rolling him to his side twice. When the ambulance arrived Thomas Lane did not hesitate to jump into the Ambulance where he started performing CPR to try and save George Floyd’s life. Thomas Lane went to work that day to protect and serve the people of Minneapolis. He did everything he could within his power to save Mr. Floyd's Life."
While every new hearing brings media attention, legal expert Mike Padden told WCCO's Cory Hepola that normally what happens in hearings like this are procedural issues like who will be allowed to provide expert witness testimony and what evidence they're allowed to present. "I don't expect a lot of gymnastics," Padden said
Expert witnesses, though, are really going to be important, especially for the three cops on the scene charged with aiding Chauvin, he said.
Padden added the defense may put in for a change of venue at one point, though it would be difficult to choose one where the case isn't already widely known. "It's a worldwide story," he said.
Following procedures and court rules is important, he said, because no matter how passionate the public feels about what happened to Floyd "even Chauvin is entitled to a fair trial."