AG Ellison: 'State has been and is ready to proceed to trial on schedule'

March 19, 2020 (SAINT PAUL) — Today, the court in the trial of State of Minnesota vs. Derek Chauvin denied defense motions for a continuance and change of venue. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who is leading the prosecution, issued the following statement:

"The court correctly ruled against a continuance and change of venue. The court has taken careful, considered steps to mitigate the effects of pre-trial publicity that make a continuance and change of venue unnecessary. A week ahead of schedule, both sides have now agreed on 12 jurors, more than half of whom were selected since early last Friday afternoon and all of whom have been carefully screened for impartiality in the face of inevitable pre-trial publicity not only in Hennepin County, but in every part of Minnesota.

“As we have said throughout, the state has been and is ready to proceed to trial on schedule. We look forward to presenting our case against Mr. Chauvin on the charges of 2nd- and 3rd-degree murder and 2nd-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd to a fair and impartial jury in Hennepin County."

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