George Floyd’s Friend and ‘Key Witness’ in Chauvin Trial Invokes 5th Amendment, Declines to Testify

theepochtimes.com ^ | 04.01.2021 | TOM OZIMEK

[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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[Organic Panic]

I’m not a lawyer. But can the defense petition the state to grant the witness immunity from any crimes committed that day?

[rxsid]

"In other words he is not willing to commit perjury repeating the lies he has been instructed to say."

Exactly.

[qaz123]

And chaos there will be.

[alternatives?]

LOL

I suspect you have privilage.

[Kevmo]

Admitting to being on drugs is nuthin’ compared to accomplice to murder.

[qaz123]

I agree.

He can’t not show up, but he can definitely not talk. And if/when that happens, it ain’t good for the prosecution.

Interesting. I was more inclined to think along the same lines as you, so I went to the worldwide web.

Can a Witness Refuse to Testify? No. While a defendant has a right to not take the stand, a witness does not. Once ordered to testify, refusing to do so may result in the witness being held in contempt of court.

And if he gave any statements to the police or the DAs office, I think he’s pretty much screwed.

We shall see

[Churchillspirit]

Most important fact I have heard so far and I am following the live coverage of the trial.

THANK YOU !

[Little Ray]

And proud of it.

[Tucsonican]

I thought Floyd and his girlfriend were “committed Christians” and he was in Minneapolis to do “mission work.”

I, uh, didn't exactly get that impression from her testimony. She did mention prayer at the beginning but the overall impression was that the relationship was based on certain more earthly concerns.

The prosecution is hitting the emotional aspect of this thing hard. They are getting all the witnesses to give fairly compelling testimony but it's all been based on their impressions of this, that or the other. The defense, at least at this point, just comes in and gets the witnesses to admit that their point of view is either based in incomplete knowledge or may not be the only valid point of view. My guess is that when the defense gets to call witnesses we're going to see a lot of facts and a whole lot less emotion.

[Chode]

because passing counterfeit is a FEDERAL crime?

[blueyon]

is it true or not that in the trail this week, it was said that the policeman’s knee was on the chest???

[lepton]

Would full immunity defeat a fifth amendment claim?

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Yes.
On the other hand, given that the actions of the drug dealer likely could be seen as causing Floyd’s death, it doesn’t seem likely the DA would even think about giving the dealer that. Further the knowledge that he was given immunity would at least partially discredit any testimony he gave as ‘induced’.

[Mercat]

The defense needs to call him and do a full cross on him. Even if he claims the fifth on every question, a cross by defense is basically the defense testifying and can hurt the prosecution.

[basalt]

they are...on one of those body cams, you can see that guy throwing something in the sewer....