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Judge Grants Chauvin’s Team Access to Floyd’s Medical Samples in Ongoing Appeal Effort

Issue #165

30 Dec

In this Marshall Area Insider issue…

🌨️ Marshall, MN Weather - Snow showers with a high of 35

🗞️ From Students to Educators: Marshall Natives Return to Teach in Hometown Schools

🗞️ Judge Grants Chauvin’s Team Access to Floyd’s Medical Samples in Ongoing Appeal Effort

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📌 Know of other local events not listed? Send us the details!

From Students to Educators: Marshall Natives Return to Teach in Hometown Schools

This year, the Marshall School District welcomed 17 new educators, including Nicholas Dunn and Marci Bossuyt, both of whom are Marshall natives now teaching in the schools they once attended.

Dunn, a sixth-grade language arts teacher at Marshall Middle School, and Bossuyt, a special education teacher at Park Side Elementary. Now, they’ve transitioned from students to educators in the same district that shaped their early years.

Both educators took unique paths back to their hometown. Dunn attended Northern State University and later Concordia College, ultimately returning to Marshall for student teaching, which opened the door to his current position. He also serves as the middle school speech coach and assists with the high school speech team.

Bossuyt’s journey was less conventional. She attended four colleges, took time off, and recently graduated from Mankato State University. Teaching wasn’t initially her career focus, but when the opportunity to work in special education at Park Side arose, she embraced it.

Entering their first year of teaching has brought challenges and growth for both.

Dunn and Bossuyt have leaned on the support of experienced colleagues, mentors, and the community. For Dunn, connecting with students who share his past struggles with language arts has been particularly rewarding.

He’s found creative ways to foster a love for reading in his classroom, inspiring students to engage with books that resonate with them.

Bossuyt has also been learning the ropes, developing her skills in special education and gaining confidence through collaboration with fellow teachers.

Teaching alongside their former educators has been a unique adjustment for both.

Despite the shift from student to colleague, Dunn and Bossuyt remain committed to making a difference in their students’ lives.

They’re excited to see the growth in their classrooms by year’s end, both for themselves as educators and for their students as learners.

Judge Grants Chauvin’s Team Access to Floyd’s Medical Samples in Ongoing Appeal Effort

A U.S. District Judge has authorized Derek Chauvin's legal team to examine heart tissue and fluid samples from George Floyd as part of an effort to challenge Chauvin’s federal civil rights conviction.

The defense aims to investigate a theory suggesting Floyd's death may have been caused by a preexisting heart condition worsened by a rare tumor, rather than asphyxiation during Chauvin's restraint.

Floyd’s death in 2020, following an incident in which the former Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes, led to widespread protests against police brutality and systemic racism.

Prosecutors maintain that Floyd died from asphyxiation, directly tied to Chauvin’s actions.

Chauvin, already convicted on state murder charges in 2021, pleaded guilty to federal civil rights violations later that year.

His current appeal claims that his original attorney did not adequately inform him of a theory presented by an outside pathologist who suggested an alternative cause of death. Chauvin argues this oversight constitutes ineffective legal representation and insists he would not have entered a guilty plea had he known about this perspective.

Federal prosecutors have countered by defending the decisions of Chauvin's original attorney, who consulted multiple medical experts and chose not to pursue the unsolicited theory.

They emphasize that courts set a high standard for overturning convictions on claims of ineffective counsel and highlight that a jury previously rejected Chauvin’s medical defense during his state trial.

Chauvin is currently serving concurrent sentences of 20 years for the federal civil rights conviction and 22 ½ years for state murder charges in a Texas federal prison.

His earlier appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the state conviction was denied.

Upcoming Area Events

 🗓️ Have an event to add? Send us the details!

Tuesday, December 31st
Sunday, January 5th
Wednesday, January 8th (first Wednesday of every month)

  • Dementia Caregiver Support Group from 10:00 - 11:30 AM at Adult Community Center in Marshall

    • Open to everyone, come when you can, no cost or obligation to attend, refreshments available

    • For questions contact Jamie Lanners (507) 828-8891

Friday, January 17th
Monday, January 20th
Thursday, January 22nd

  • YMIC Business Tour Day

  • Light Up The Night takes place at Independence Park in Marshall from 5:00 - 9:00 PM every night. Starting November 29 through January 1st. Enjoy this beautiful Winter Wonderland!

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