Court provides update on trial location for former officers in Floyd case

Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao. J Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane. The four former Minneapolis police officers are charged in the death of George Floyd. (FOX 9 / FOX 9)

If the trial for the four former Minneapolis police officers remains in Hennepin County, the trial will be held at the Hennepin County Government Center, according to an update from the court Tuesday. The most recent hearing in the case was held at the Family Justice Center.

All four defense teams have filed motions to move the venue of the trial, arguing the potential jury pool has been tainted amid ongoing media coverage. Attorneys have argued the trial should not be held in the Twin Cities metro, but rather places such as Stearns, Crow Wing or St. Louis counties.

At a motion hearing Sept. 11, a judge heard oral arguments on multiple motions including the changing the venue, joining the four cases into one and dismissing the cases altogether. Following that hearing, the judge had 90 days to make a decision. So far, the court has not issued any decisions on those motions.

For now, the trial date for Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng has been set for March 8.