Tou Thao’s Attorney Alleges Medical Examiner Was ‘Coerced’ in George Floyd Autopsy: ‘Neck Compression Has to Be in the Diagnosis’ Aaron Keller
Attorneys for
Tou Thao, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with playing a role in the death of
George Floyd, Jr., filed an explosive motion Wednesday which accuses the top official responsible for Floyd’s autopsy of being “coerced by the State and its agents” into changing his professional assessments of Floyd’s condition into medical opinions that were favorable to the prosecution at trial. Thao’s defense alleges that a fellow forensic pathologist threatened to publish a negative article against Hennepin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr.
Fox News contributors Leo Terrell and Andy McCarthy provide insight on ‘The Story.’
Lawyers representing former Minneapolispolice officer Tou Thao argued in a new court filing late Wednesday that the medical examiner who performed the autopsy on George Floyd was coerced by a prominent doctor in Washington, D.C., into altering its findings – and that prosecutors were aware.
The filing accuses that same doctor, who threatened to write a damaging op-ed in the Washington Post against the medical examiner, of later targeting the key medical witness called by the defense in the trial for Derek Chauvin, resulting in an investigation by the state of Maryland following his testimony. That has caused a chilling effect, Thao s defense attorneys argue, making it difficult for the defense to find other medical experts to testify for fear of losing their licenses or damaging their reputation.
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MINNEAPOLIS Attorneys for Tou Thao, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with playing a role in the death of George Floyd, Jr., filed an explosive motion Wednesday which accuses the top official responsible for Floyd’s autopsy of being “coerced by the State and its agents” into changing his professional assessments of Floyd’s condition into medical opinions that were favorable to the prosecution at trial.
Thao’s defense alleges that a fellow forensic pathologist threatened to publish a negative article against Hennepin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Andrew Baker unless Baker conceded that Floyd died in part from “neck compression” by ex-officer Derek Chauvin, who has since been convicted of murder. The attorneys go on to argue that the alleged strong-armed tactics have prevented the defense from securing experts willing to testify on Thao’s behalf, Law&Crime reported.
Judge Finds Chauvin Qualifies For Longer Prison Sentence By By
Cara Bayles Law360 (May 12, 2021, 2:10 PM EDT) A Minnesota state court judge found Wednesday that the murder of George Floyd met several of the factors necessary to sentence former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin to a longer-than-average prison term.
A jury
convicted Chauvin last month of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, which carry sentences of up to 40 years, up to 25 years and up to 10 years, respectively.
Chauvin would only face a sentence for the most serious charge, since all of his convictions stemmed from the same act. And because he has no prior criminal record, state guidelines would recommend a prison term of about 12 1/2 years.
Derek Chauvin prosecutor says he felt BAD for killer cop because he s a human being and calls on judge NOT to impose heavy sentence for George Floyd s murder
Minnesota Attorney-General Keith Ellison told 60 Minutes he felt a little bad for Derek Chauvin, 45, after the cop was found guilty of murdering George Floyd
Chauvin was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter
He faces a maximum of 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on June 16
Ellison said the sentencing judge should not feel the need to send a message by imposing a heavy sentence on Chauvin The sentence should be tailored to the offense, tailored to the circumstances of the case, Ellison told 60 Minutes