January 28, 2021
THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER-CORONER
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INQUEST IN THE DEATH OF FRED WILLIAMS, JR.
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2021
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JUSTICE COOPER: OKAY. IT LOOKS AS IF EVERYBODY HAS ASSEMBLED AND WE ARE 6
READY TO BEGIN. AND IF I'M NOT TOO MUFFLED, WE WILL START. WE ARE ON THE 7
RECORD AT THIS TIME IN THE MATTER OF THE DEATH OF FRED WILLIAMS III. I 8
WOULD LIKE FOR EVERYONE PRESENT TODAY IN THE BOARD HEARING ROOM AS WELL AS 9
THOSE INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATING REMOTELY BY PROVIDING TESTIMONY, PLEASE 10
TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES AND ANY OTHER ELECTRONIC OR RECORDING DEVICES. 11
THIS MATTED CERTAIN A CORONER'S INQUEST. IT'S AN INQUIRY INTO THE DEATH OF 12
AN INDIVIDUAL. MY NAME IS CANDACE COOPER. I AM A RETIRED JUSTICE OF THE 13
CALIFORNIA COURT OF APPEAL. AND I AM THE HEARING OFFICER FOR THIS MATTER. 14
I HAVE WHEN ASSIGNED BY THE L.A. COUNTY MEDICAL CORPS O NOR'S OFFICE TO 15
CONDUCT THIS INQUEST. THEY MAY ORDER A FORMAL INQUEST WHEN THERE'S A DEATH 16
OF ANYBODY IN THE COUNTY. GOVERNMENT 491.6. AS A MATTER OF PUBLIC POLICY, 17
AN INQUEST MAY BE HEALTH WHEN THERE IS A DIRECT CONNECTION BETWEEN LAW 18
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND THIS COUNTY AND THE DEATH OF A HUMAN BEING. THIS IS 19
NOT AN ADVERSARIAL PROCEEDING. UNDER CANNED CAL LAW, THE DECISION AT THE 20
END OF THE INQUEST SHALL BE INADMISSIBLE IN ANY CIVIL OR CRIMINAL 21
PROCEEDING PEARL GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 27502.2. HOWEVER THIS DOES NOT 22
MEAN THAT A SWORN STATEMENT OF A WITNESS AT AN INQUEST IS INADMISSIBLE AT 23
A SUBSEQUENT PROCEEDING. THIS INQUEST IS DESIGNED TO ASSURE THE 24
TRANSPARENT AND INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF ALL THE EVIDENCE AND FINDINGS 25
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