Magnuson said the chief judge made the decision to close the courthouse early Tuesday due to extreme winter weather passing through the area.
“It’s being done for the safety of everybody involved in this matter,” he told the court.
Magnuson said he will give the jury instructions in the law on Wednesday morning when the court resumes at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Attorneys delivered their closing arguments Tuesday with Assistant US Attorney Manda Sertich telling jurors during her closing argument that Thomas Lane, 38, J. Alexander Kueng, 28, and Tou Thao, 36, were all aware that Derek Chauvin was using unreasonable force and knew what procedures could help Floyd, but chose not to act on it.
Defense attorneys, however, argued their clients were either inexperienced, had inconsistent training and did not have intent to harm Floyd.
“Just because something has a tragic ending doesn’t mean it’s a crime,” said Robert Paule, Thao’s attorney.
Lane, Kueng and Thao also face a state trial later this year on charges of aiding and abetting in Floyd’s murder. They have pleaded not guilty.
Attorneys argue over officers’ intentions and experience
Sertich argued that Thao and Kueng “had the ability, authority, opportunity, means, and duty to intervene,” adding that there was plenty of time for Kueng and Thao to take action.
“It wasn’t a split-second use of force like a gunshot,” she said, emphasizing Chauvin’s use of force was “not 30 seconds, not a minute: several minutes — 569 seconds.”
“Defendants Thao and Keung watched while George Floyd condition slowly deteriorated,”…
Source : cnn
