Attorneys in state trooper case clash over handling of use-of-force expert
Attorneys in the case of a Minnesota state trooper charged with murder and manslaughter clashed in court Thursday over information disclosure and a use-of-force expert’s opinion, amid escalating controversy over the handling of the case.
State trooper Ryan Londregan is charged with murder, manslaughter and assault in the death of Ricky Cobb II, whom Londregan shot during a traffic stop in July 2023.
Thursday’s hearing centered on debate around the input of a use-of-force expert. According to filings from Londregan’s defense attorneys, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office hired Jeff Noble to give his assessment of whether or not Londregan’s actions were justified.
As the defense learned in notes gained through the discovery process, Noble told prosecutors that, based on his initial review, Londregan’s use of force was justified. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty chose to charge Londregan, and prosecutors asked Noble to stop working on the case.
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Defense attorneys for Londregan want the prosecution to hand over any emails, text messages, and meeting notes relating to Noble’s work with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The prosecution says it’s not legally obligated to provide all of that information, and accused the defense of going on a “fishing expedition.”
Assistant County Attorney Joshua Larson, one of the prosecutors on the case, said that Noble did not reach a final conclusion on the case, and did not have any drafted opinion that would be relevant.
The defense is also attempting to subpoena Noble for the same information. Prosecutors have asked the court to quash that subpoena, saying the information is unnecessary. Judge Tamara Garcia has put a hold on the subpoena until the court can make a decision.
Defense attorney Chris Madel said he doesn’t trust prosecutors’ information in this case, and accused the attorney’s office of seeking a use-of-force expert who aligns with prosecutors on the case. He said the office is engaging in a “pattern of misconduct.”
The next hearing in the case scheduled for April 29.
Other case developments
In addition to the dispute over the use-of-force expert, a State Patrol use-of-force trainer who was cited in the criminal complaint against Londregan said in an affidavit filed Wednesday that prosecutors misconstrued his statements.
He alleged that prosecutors cherry-picked a statement from his interview to say that Londregan had used inappropriate force. In the affidavit, the trainer said Londregan acted in accordance with his training.
Londregan’s defense attorneys say they don’t trust the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office to prosecute the case fairly, following the information they’ve received from the experts consulted in the case.
The case has become increasingly thorny and political, as several elected officials have weighed in.
The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association asked Gov. Tim Walz to review the case. The governor told reporters a few days ago that he hasn’t ruled out reassigning the case to Attorney General Keith Ellison.
He has the ability to reassign the case, as he did a year ago when he took a case from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and handed it to Ellison.
Democratic U.S. Reps. Angie Craig and Dean Philips, as well as Republican members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation, have asked Walz to step in and reassign. They say they’re worried about transparency and public trust in this case.
But several community organizations and activists, including CAIR-MN and Communities United Against Police Brutality, issued their own statement Wednesday asking the governor not to interfere.
They said the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office needs to be able to make its own prosecutorial decisions, especially when it comes to accountability for law enforcement officers.
Garcia, the judge overseeing the case, said in court Thursday that she’ll be issuing a directive to the attorneys in this case to limit the number of affidavits and exhibits.
She said she wants to bring all the arguments in the case back into the courtroom — not in public statements and press releases.