Crime & Safety
George Floyd: Judge Disqualifies Mike Freeman Over 'Sloppy' Work
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman was disqualified over his presence at an interview with the medical examiner, a judge ruled.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A judge Friday disqualified Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman and several members of his staff from acting as lawyers in the George Floyd case, citing "sloppy" work.
At a pretrial hearing, Judge Peter Cahill criticized Freeman and other county lawyers for conducting an interview with the Hennepin County Medical Examiner, Dr. Andrew Baker, reports KARE 11. A non-lawyer should have been sent, according to a court document.
Freeman and the others present at that interviewer are now considered witnesses and can be asked to testify during trial, Judge Cahill said. They cannot act as lawyers.
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County attorneys and staff who weren't present for the interview can still participate in the case as prosecutors, reports FOX 9.
In July, Gov. Tim Walz appointed Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison as the special prosecutor in the Floyd case. At that time, the plan was that Freeman would assist Ellison.
Find out what's happening in Southwest Minneapolisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
All four officers who were at the scene of Floyd's Memorial Day arrest were fired the next day and face criminal charges.
Tou Thao, Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane all face charges of aiding and abetting unintentional second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
Derek Chauvin — who kept his knee on Floyd's neck even after he went motionless — faces third-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter, and second-degree unintentional murder while committing a felony.
Floyd, 46, suffered a cardiac arrest when he was restrained by Chauvin during the arrest, according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner. The manner of death was listed as homicide.
Floyd "experienced a cardiopulmonary arrest while being restrained" by police, the examiner states. Other significant conditions Floyd suffered include arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease, fentanyl intoxication, and recent methamphetamine use, according to the report.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment.
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