Judge denies request to reinstate 3rd-degree murder charge in George Floyd death

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Hennepin County District Court judge denied the state's request to reinstate the third-degree murder charge against fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who has been charged in the death of George Floyd.

Thursday morning, Judge Peter Cahill issued an order denying the request. He also denied the request to add the charge of aiding and abetting third-degree murder to the three other former officers connected to the case.

Cahill dismissed the third-degree murder charge in October. Last week after the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled to uphold the third-degree murder conviction for former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor in a 2017 fatal shooting, the state asked the judge to reconsider the charge.

In a memo filed with his ruling, Cahill explained he stands by his decision to dismiss the charge, stating "nothing in the majority opinon in Noor persuades the Court otherwise," instead agreeing with analysis in the dissenting opinion in the Noor case.

Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Former officers Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane are all charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. All four officers were fired the day after Floyd’s death. 

Chauvin's trial is scheduled to begin on March 8.