Trial for 3 Ex-Minneapolis Cops Charged in George Floyd's Death Pushed to March 2022
Terrence Floyd, brother of George Floyd, speaks at George Floyd Square after the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial on April 20, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Former police officer Derek Chauvin was on trial on second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges in the death of George Floyd May 25, 2020.  After video was released of then-officer Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck for nine minutes and twenty-nine seconds, protests broke out across the U.S. and around the world. The jury found Chauvin guilty on all three charges. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

A Minnesota judge has delayed until next year the trial for three former Minneapolis cops involved in George Floyd's death due to various concerns.

Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill ordered the postponement of the state trial for Thomas Lane, 37; Tou Thao, 34; and J. Alexander Kueng, 26, to March 2022.

The three former Minneapolis cops were originally set to face trial on Aug. 23, 2021 on charges they aided and abetted both murder and manslaughter, Crime Online reported.

Cahill said this move would allow the publicity surrounding Derek Chauvin's case to subside, as well as to prioritize the federal trial involving the former Minneapolis cops.

The co-defendant of the three ex-cops, Derek Chauvin, was convicted in April of murder and manslaughter. All four Minneapolis cops are also charged for violating George Floyd's civil rights during his arrest on May 25 last year.

Cahill further noted that he needed to put a gap between the three ex-cops trial and Chauvin's because of the high-profile nature of the case, according to an Associated Press report.

The defense attorneys of the former Minneapolis cops all agreed to the postponement. However, Assistant Attorney General Matthew Frank did not support the delay. Frank represents the state in the case.

Former federal prosecutor Mark Osler said the delay could suggest that the ex-cops are talking about a plea deal since their respective attorneys supported the delay, while the prosecution is against the idea.

Osler, now a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, said the defense attorneys could be hoping for lower penalties for their clients and dismissing the state charges.

Meanwhile, Earl Gray asked Cahill to order the state to release all use-of-force reports over the past 30 years. Gray, who represents Lane in the case, filed the request in a separate motion. But Frank argued that the request should be denied as it is overly broad. Cahill said he would look into the matter.

George Floyd's Death

Derek Chauvin will be sentenced on June 25, and it would likely cause a new wave of publicity in the case. Chauvin kept his knee pressed on George Floyd's neck for about nine minutes. The convicted former Minneapolis cop never removed his knee despite the Black man's plea, The New York Times reported.

Hennepin County prosecutors added a more serious second-degree murder charge against Derek Chauvin and also charged the three other former Minneapolis cops involved in Floyd's murder.

There were arguments about the duration of time Chauvin fatally pressed his knee on Floyd's neck. Jamar Nelson, who works with the families of crime victims in the state, said that it does not make any difference, adding that it was long enough to kill Floyd.

A day after George Floyd's death, protests started. The next day demonstrations have spread in other cities, including Los Angeles and Memphis, ABC News Go reported.

Peaceful protests in Minneapolis turned violent, with fires and looting breaking out. Police officers tried to disperse the crowd with rubber bullets and tear gas.

On May 28 last year, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz had signed an executive order deploying the Minnesota National Guard. Governors from other states started to follow suit as the tension began to rise. On Jun. 3, 2020, all officers were charged with George Floyd's death.

WATCH: Trial Delayed For 3 Other Ex-Officers Charged In George Floyd's Death - From MSNBC