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Derek Chauvin trial: Morries Lester Hall allowed to plead the fifth, George Floyd pal will not have to testify

Morries Lester Hall was with George Floyd when police confronted him
PUBLISHED APR 15, 2021
Morries Lester Hall and the tragic custodial death of George Floyd (Minneapolis Police bodycam footage, Wikipedia)
Morries Lester Hall and the tragic custodial death of George Floyd (Minneapolis Police bodycam footage, Wikipedia)

The Minneapolis judge overseeing the Derek Chauvin trial ruled that George Floyd's friend and alleged drug dealer will not be forced to testify for the defense at Derek Chauvin's murder trial. Morries Lester Hall was with George Floyd when police confronted him. It was alleged that he sold Floyd drugs in the past.

Judge Peter Cahill granted his motion to repeal a subpoena that called for him to testify in Chauvin’s murder and manslaughter trial.

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Floral tributes lay next to a mural of George Floyd, by street artist Akse, in Manchester's northern quarter on June 3, 2020, in Manchester, United Kingdom (Getty Images)

Hall appeared in Hennepin County Court on Wednesday morning when he told a judge to make his case against being subpoenaed by the defense out of concern that he might incriminate himself.

Attorneys had previously revealed in court papers that Hall would invoke the Fifth Amendment if called to testify. And March 31, he filed a shock motion stating his intention to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination if called to testify for either side. 

"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 earlier in the trial by assistant public defender Adrienne Cousins.

Derek Chauvin poses for a mugshot after being charged with the death of George Floyd (Getty Images)

On Wednesday, Cousins told the court that Hall cannot place himself in the same car with Floyd again. "This was a car that was searched twice and drugs were recovered twice. If Mr Hall puts himself in that car, he exposes himself to potential drug possession charges connected with the drugs found in the car," she reportedly said. "Whatever happens with this case, the State can still come back and charge Mr Hall ... so he can't put himself in that car."

Cousins added: "Furthermore, the questions that come after that ... Mr Hall cannot answer any of those questions without potentially incriminating himself."

On Wednesday, appearing before the judge, Hall said, "I am fearful of criminal charges going forward [because] I have open charges not settled yet."

It was Floyd's ex-girlfriend Courteney Ross who revealed early on in the trial that the couple used drugs on and off throughout their three-year relationship,  that they both became addicted after being prescribed opioids to treat chronic pain. She also described how Floyd used the powerful prescription opioid OxyContin, and said she and Floyd had purchased narcotics from a man named Morries Lester Hall, whose name has been spelled as "Maurice" in several reports. “We got addicted and we both tried to break that addiction many times,” she said.

Chauvin's defense hinges after the argument that Floyd's death was not caused by the actions of the former police officer but was caused by outside factors including drug addiction and underlying health conditions including a bad heart. 

According to the latest reports, Judge Peter Cahill has said that he expects the defense to wrap up his case by the end of this week, with closing arguments beginning Monday. 

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