Prosecution, Judge Block Jury From Hearing State Interview With Floyd’s Alleged Drug Dealer

An alleged drug dealer who was with George Floyd during his arrest on May 25 spoke to state investigators for about 90 minutes, but his statements are being blocked from the jury in the trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin.

Experts say Morries Hall’s statements to authorities would only benefit the defense, according to a report from Law & Crime.Hall “describes they had to shake Mr. Floyd awake many times,” argued Eric Nelson, defense attorney for Chauvin. “He freely answered the agents’ questions about where he and Mr. Floyd spent the day, what their behaviors were, where they went and specifically how he appeared physical, his demeanor.”

Judge Peter Cahill has denied Nelson’s request to allow the jury to hear the statement from Hall, or even a summary of the statement. According to Cahill, “there is nothing in the statement to indicate it was trustworthy which is required for it to be presented under an exception to the hearsay rule,” Law & Crime reported.

The prosecution has made it clear that they do not want the statements from Hall to be heard by the jury; the state has even refused to grant Hall immunity in exchange for testimony. Nelson has requested that the prosecution outline their decision to deny Hall immunity, but Cahill has denied the request.