Lessons from George Floyd’s death prepare WA court for police murder trial

Last year, Pierce County Superior Court officials knew they were standing on the precipice of the state’s highest-profile trial in years. The trial of three Tacoma police officers charged with murder and manslaughter was just months away, and Pierce County and Tacoma were blindly feeling their way through preparations. There was much to consider: a courtroom with limited seating but high media and public interest, the prospect of civil unrest during the trial or after the verdict, and the potential for a chaotic atmosphere could affect the normal operations of...