The trial was due to last a day and a half; three days will ultimately be devoted to it, from 21 to 23 June 2027. On 26 October, the Paris criminal court postponed the hearing of three police officers facing charges of manslaughter following the death of Cédric Chouviat, according to AFP. The classification of the alleged offences also remains at the heart of the case, and is disputed by the family.
The family considers the acts to be criminal and will challenge the court’s jurisdiction. The defence argues that the stop was lawful and that the delivery driver’s distress went unnoticed. The police officers remain presumed innocent; this postponement does not determine their responsibility.
Two questions to distinguish
In its guide to unintentional harm, Service Public explains that carelessness, negligence or a failure to meet a safety obligation may be punishable when a link to the harm is established. The absence of an intention to cause death does not, on its own, mean that there is no criminal liability.
The issue raised by the family concerns precisely the classification of the actions of which the officers are accused. This challenge remains a request by the parties, which must be considered by the courts.
A conduct investigation separate from the criminal trial
On 3 January 2020, Cédric Chouviat was stopped during a traffic check in Paris. He died in hospital on 5 January.
In its account of the decision made public on 1 April 2026, the Défenseur des droits reports the use of chokeholds and a prone restraint, despite the delivery driver’s calls saying that he was suffocating. In this decision, Claire Hédon concluded that there had been serious breaches of professional conduct obligations and called for disciplinary proceedings to be initiated.
The institution itself specifies the limits of its remit: its assessment concerns the police officers’ professional conduct. Only the judicial authorities can rule on whether a criminal offence has been committed. These two processes should therefore not be confused with a judgment already handed down in the trial, now scheduled for June 2027.
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