All four former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s murder are scheduled to appear in court on Monday. According to CNN, Derek Chauvin, J. Alexander Kueng, Tou Thao and Thomas Lane will go before a judge sometime midday, though no cameras will be allowed in the courtroom.

Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder in Floyd’s death, which came after he knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest on May 25. Kueng, Thao, and Lane are all charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. All four men were fired from the Minneapolis Police Department. Chauvin will appear vie video (ITV), but the other three will appear in person. Chauvin’s bail was set at $1.25 million, and bail for Kueng, Thao and Lane was set at $1 million each. Notably, Kueng and Lane have been released released on conditional bond, but Chauvin and Thao remain behind bars.

Floyd’s funeral was held on June 9, and was attended by a number of high-profile mourners, such as Jamie Foxx, Channing Tatum, and Houston Texans player J.J. Watt. While he could not attend, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden sent a pre-recorded video that was played for those who were in attendance in person. “As I’ve said to you privately, we know. We know you will never feel the same again,” Biden said. “Unlike most, you must grieve in public, and it’s a burden. A burden that is now your purpose to change the world for the better, in the name of George Floyd.”

Biden went on to say, “Ladies and gentlemen, we can’t turn away. We must not turn away. America can do better. America has no choice but to do better. We can heal this nation’s wounds. Today, now, is the time. The purpose, the season, to listen and heal.”

Floyd’s eulogy was delivered by long time civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton. He praised Floyd’s family for showing strength at such a tragic time, and assured them that they even when the “last TV truck is gone,” they will continue to have support from the community. “We must commit to this family that until these people pay for what they did, that we’re going to be with them because lives like George’s will not matter until someone pays the cost for taking their lives,” he said. Concluding his message, Sharpton said, “Your family is going to miss you, George, but your nation is always going to remember your name. We’re going to fight on.”

Ben Melham has been charged with a list of betting offences while The Armchair Punter column has arrived for another week.

MELHAM CHARGED WITH BETTING OFFENCES

Top Melbourne jockey Ben Melham has been charged with placing thousands of dollars in bets on thoroughbred racing through a betting account operated by his partner. READ MORE

THE ARMCHAIR PUNTER COLUMN

Bookmakers are only obliged to bet to the Minimum Bet Limits after 9am on race mornings but is that about to change Armchair asking this week, while I’m also putting the kibosh on any thoughts a VRC St Leger winner could be a serious Melbourne Cup player. READ MORE

PURTON MAKES HK HISTORY

Australian jockey Zac Purton cemented his place as one of the Hong Kong riding greats with his win on Exultant in Sunday’s QE II Cup at Sha Tin. READ MORE

NERVOUS WAIT FOR OAKS FAVOURITE

Ballarat trainer Dan O’Sullivan has a nervous wait ahead of him before he finds out whether pre-post favourite Affair To Remember will get a start in Saturday’s Group I Schweppes Oaks at Morphettville. READ MORE

AUSSIE HOOP ON FIRE IN JAPAN

Australian jockey Damian Lane continued his golden start to his latest Japanese stint with another winning treble in Toyko on Sunday. READ MORE

PFIEFFER EXCITED BY GROUP I CHANCE

Trainer David Pfieffer is confident Am Excited hasn’t taken a backward step this preparation as the classy mare looks to double her Group I haul in the Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville. READ MORE

AETHERO TO AUSTRALIA?

Trainer John Moore has floated the idea of Aethero heading to Australia to continue his career after his bleeding attack in Sunday’s Group I Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) at Sha Tin. READ MORE.

RUSSIAN CAMELOT HOLDS FLEMINGTON NOM

 

Trainer Danny O’Brien has given himself the option of running South Australian Derby fancy Russian Camelot at Saturday’s Sandown meeting to make up for a missed run last week. READ MORE.

BAKER PONDERS QUEENSLAND CARNIVAL

 

Trainer Bjorn Baker hopes Hinchbeast can take the first steps towards Brisbane Winter Carnival tilt at Warwick Farm on Wednesday. READ MORE.

Former Fresno State men’s basketball star forward Nate Paul Grimes was arrested Monday.

Police charged him with corporal injury to spouse/cohabitant, a felony, according to the Fresno County sheriff’s office. 

Grimes, 23, was arrested at 12:15 p.m. on Monday, March 16 by the Fresno Police Department. 

Bail was set at $25,000. Grimes was released hours later.

On his Instagram story, Grimes posted a statement around 3 p.m. with a photo of a door with bars.

“This is what happens when you mess with girls who would lie on ya name! Athletes watch out for these scandalous ass females! They don’t really care for you they just want the bag after college smh.”

A Fresno State Athletics public information officer says they are aware of the arrest made.

Through his five-year career as a Fresno State Bulldog, Grimes averaged 8.3 ppg and 7.4 rpg. In his final year, Grimes averaged 11.5 ppg and 10.2 rpg. He was an All-Mountain West third team (2018-19) and voted by coaches as the All-MW honorable mention (2018-19)

Grimes ranks fourth in Mountain West history in rebounds with 731 and is currently fifth in rebounds in Fresno State. 

Grimes is majoring in Africana Studies at Fresno State. He is from Las Vegas, Nev., and was born on May 1, 1996.

This story will be updated. 

A pretrial conference for N.C. State sophomore guard Markell Johnson and three co-defendants facing felony assault charges is scheduled for Monday morning at the Cuyahoga (Ohio) County Justice Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

Johnson, Demarious Green, Michael Melton and Johnnie Pullum were all indicted in Cuyahoga County on Dec. 5.

The four are charged with assaulting Michael Blackwell, 37, in Cleveland in early October.

In 2015, Johnson told recruiting and high school sports website The Left Bench that Melton and Blackwell were mentors to him: “Living in the townhouses where I grew up, my next door neighbor Mike Blackwell taught me a lot about the game. He didn’t just tell me, he showed me and helped me.”

Under N.C. State’s student-athlete code of conduct, Johnson is suspended from the basketball team until the felony charge is resolved.

Johnson, who was N.C. State’s starting point guard for the season’s first 10 games prior to his Dec. 14 suspension, has missed the team’s last six games, including the Wolfpack’s 96-85 win over Duke on Saturday. N.C. State has gone 3-3 in those games, including 1-2 in ACC play.

The Wolfpack (11-5, 1-2 ACC) has two games later this week; the first against No. 25 Clemson at home on Thursday, and the second on Sunday at No. 8 Virginia.