Posted on 04/01/2021 10:26:31 AM PDT by rxsid
George Floyd’s Friend and ‘Key Witness’ in Chauvin Trial Invokes 5th Amendment, Declines to Testify
A self-described key witness to the death of George Floyd—a longtime friend who was in the car with Floyd when police approached him—said through a lawyer that, if forced to testify about the incident, he’ll invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and remain silent.
Morries Lester Hall, who in a June 2020 interview with The New York Times called himself “a key witness to the cops murdering George Floyd” and said he was “going to be his voice” going forward, has asked the court to squash a subpoena calling on him to testify in the trial against Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused of murder.
Hall made his request via notice filed by the Hennepin County Public Defender’s Office (pdf) on Wednesday.
“Mr. Morries Lester Hall, through undersigned counsel, hereby provides notice to all parties in this matter that if called to testify he will invoke his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination,” said a notice filed by Assistant Public Defender Adrienne Cousins. “Therefore, counsel for Mr. Hall respectfully moves this court to quash the subpoena … and release Mr. Hall from any obligations therein.”
It is unclear why Hall doesn’t want to testify at the trial.
Floyd and Hall were both from Houston, Texas, and met through a Minneapolis pastor, Hall told The New York Times in the interview. Hall said he and Floyd had been in touch every day since 2016 and he considered Floyd a “confidant and mentor.”
Hall was in the passenger’s seat of the vehicle Floyd was in when he was approached by Minneapolis police officers on suspicion of using a fake $20 bill at nearby Cup Foods. One soundless clip captured by a Cup Foods security camera showed Floyd dressed in a black tank top approaching a cashier, making cheerful conversation, and putting his arm around a woman.
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I guess his friend, the self described “key witness,” is only willing to “be his voice” so long as he’s not under oath.
Because he gave Mr. Floyd the fentanyl?
I don’t believe he can avoid questions that don’t risk incriminating him.
I don’t believe he can avoid questions that don’t risk incriminating him.
Waiting for a movie/book/speaking engagement requests?
Giving a lethal dose of fentanyl just might incriminate him.
because Floyd was high as a kite..his girlfriend said the dude was his drug dealer
I will be very curious as to how defense Counsel handles this subpoena. The prosecution witnesses have, so far, only been trying to play on emotions. Yesterday’s prosecution witnesses may have helped the defense.
Whether this guy is completely in the right or not almost anything he says will be twisted by the Evil Traitor Press at CNN. NYT, et al. I don’t blame him one bit. I’m sure he’s following his lawyer’s advice.
OK. I get why he invoked. He can’t testify without use immunity (at the very least). He was Floyd’s drug dealer. Floyd is dead from a drug overdose. That incriminates the dealer. I’m not sure what the law is in MN, but he could be guilty of a number of serious crimes (in addition to drug dealing) that potentially includes felony murder.
Would any of this help the prosecution’s case against Chauvin? No and that’s why he wasn’t immunized for his testimony. BUT, why did the prosecution call him knowing that he was going to invoke?
It doesn't matter what HE is guilty of, he can be asked about WHAT he knows and observed, without discussing his involvement.
He either was part of the fentanyl angle, or part of the counterfeit $20 that got the grocery all hyped-up.
And if they're really good they'll get him riled and he will blurt out a fact, or an accusation, or even just a dumb "No.", and this clown will have waived the 5th on everything downstream of that question. Then if he refuses to answer the follow-up he's declared hostile and unresponsive, and the judge can send him somewhere this guy has been before...
Hillary’s defense. I have no recollection
A year earlier, Floyd used the same words, and had many of the same issues, during an arrest. Even the same drugs...
A history of swallowing drugs to destroy evidence.
Then I would imagine there is a 100% chance he will be put on the stand.
Wouldn’t that be something.
FWIW, he needs use or transactional immunity. “Qualified” immunity is immunity from civil action that is generally reserved for government employees.
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