Judge approves DOJ request to pause Minneapolis police-related consent decree
Mpls mayor, police chief on federal consent decree
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara spoke about the U.S. Department of Justice federal consent decree that mandates reforms within the Minneapolis Police Department. FOX 9's Leah Beno asked how this could impact policing in the city.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A federal judge has approved a request made by the U.S. Department of Justice to pause proceedings in the consent decree agreement with the City of Minneapolis that would implement sweeping reforms within the police department.
Pause in proceedings
What's new:
In a court document filed on Wednesday, the DOJ requested a stay in proceedings so the recently confirmed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi can get caught up in the case. Additionally, the DOJ argued the two pending motions have yet to be scheduled for a hearing so it wouldn’t substantially injure the other parties involved.
U.S. District Court Judge Paul A. Magnuson granted the motion to temporarily pause proceedings until March 20. According to the court document, during an informal status conference on Jan. 10, the court informed the parties that the proposed consent decree would be reviewed over the next 60 days before moving forward. The judge granted the motion because the requested stay extends the court's timeline by only nine days.
Consent decree
The backstory:
On Jan. 6, the Minneapolis City Council voted to approve the federal consent decree between the DOJ and the city, which outlined sweeping reforms in how the Minneapolis police handle things like use of force, pursuits, training and discipline.
This agreement came after a two-year investigation following the murder of George Floyd. The DOJ found a pattern or practice of civil rights violations within the MPD. Some of its findings include the use of excessive force, including unjustified deadly force, unlawful discrimination against Black and Native American people and discrimination against people with behavioral health disabilities.
While the Minneapolis City Council had approved the agreement, a federal judge assigned to review the case had not yet signed off.
The day the decree was approved, recognizing that incoming President Donald Trump had repeatedly criticized such agreements, Mayor Jacob Frey insisted "this agreement is rock solid and our commitment to it, regardless of the circumstances, is also rock solid."
The Minneapolis Police Department remains under a similar consent decree with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, approved in 2023, that includes similar reform mandates.