[George Floyd Trials]
Assistant Attorney General Matthew Frank, in a statement, said they support a public trial but are worried audio and video courtroom coverage “may create more problems than they will solve.”
Photo: Twitter
Will these murderers of George Floyd be tried in secret courtroom proceedings?
Tuesday, prosecutors in the George Floyd murder case say they will revisit the issue of whether to allow audio or video coverages of the trials which will start in March.
Earlier news reports had said prosecutors didn’t want either audio or video coverage of the trials. In a Monday letter, filed with the court, prosecutors said they do “not consent to audio or video coverage of any trials in these matters.”
On the other hand, defense lawyers stated they were open to audio and video coverage of the trials.
However, prosecutors now say they are revisiting the issue. On Monday, the Minnesota Attorney General’s office had not given a reason for not wanting audio or video recordings of the trials.
But by Tuesday, prosecutors seem to be rethinking this.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew Frank, in a statement, said they support a public trial but are worried audio and video courtroom coverage “may create more problems than they will solve.”
That statement is an exact quote of what Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said last month on the issue of cameras in the courtroom. Ellison then said, cameras “will create more problems than it would solve” purportedly by changing the way lawyers present evidence and by possibly intimidating witnesses.
On Tuesday, Assistant Attorney General Matthew Frank also said, “Testifying in public is challenging enough; live audio and visual testimony could potentially deprive the State of the testimony of certain witnesses.”
If the court agrees these trials should take place outside of the public’s eyes it would be ironic given the public nature in which George Floyd’s murder occurred.
Under Minnesota court rules, the court can rule to record the proceeding but apparently only if both sides agree. Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill hasn’t ruled on the matter. Cahill ruled last month that cameras will not be allowed in pre-trial proceedings.
Floyd, 46, was murdered on Memorial Day by officer Michael Chauvin–with the active assistance of officers J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao. Chauvin infamously sank his knee in the neck of George Floyd. He kept it there for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
Floyd’s murder was captured on cellphone video and unleashed protests against the police across America and throughout the world. Those protests continue.
