A key witness in Derek Chauvin’s murder trial has concerns that any possible statements made in his testimony will be used against him and may result in a third-degree murder charge.
On Tuesday morning (April 6), Adrienne Cousins, the lawyer of Floyd’s friend Morries Hall — one of the passengers in the car with him on the day he died — filed a motion to quash subpoenas requiring her client to take the stand after learning he had no immunity from possible prosecution based on his testimony.
“Your honor, I cannot envision any topic that Mr. Hall would be called to testify on that would be both relevant to the case that would not incriminate him,” Cousins told Judge Peter Cahill.
“Mr. Hall’s testimony in these matters would specifically put him in the position of being in very close proximity to Mr. Floyd in a vehicle where drugs were found during a search by police following Floyd’s death.”
Hall was named when Floyd’s girlfriend, Courtney Ross, testified and claimed he was a drug dealer who previously sold narcotics to her late boyfriend. The prosecution and more specifically, the defense team are hoping to question him about his and Floyd’s actions as they sat in a car prior to the cops’ arrival at the Cup Foods convenience store.
Eric Nelson, in particular, is banking on Hall’s testimony to prove his main point that his client, Chauvin, passed away from an undetected heart disease and an ingestion of a fentanyl and methamphetamine mixture. “This will include evidence that while they were in the car, Mr. Floyd consumed what were thought to be two Percoset [painkiller] pills,” he said during his opening statement.
Chauvin’s attorney also wants to ask Hall whether he’s ever given Floyd drugs, why he and Floyd lied to police about their names and the reasons for his immediate departure from Minnesota after Floyd’s death.
Cahill ordered Nelson to submit all of his desired questions. In the next hearing, he will announce whether its possible for Hall to answer without incriminating himself and whether he should even take the stand at all.