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Family Of Patient Who Died At Bridgewater Hospital Calls On Healey To Investigate Plymouth DA

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The attorney representing the family of a Bridgewater State Hospital patient who died while being restrained by hospital guards is calling on the state attorney general to investigate the Plymouth County district attorney.

Newly released testimony from a judicial review of Joshua Messier's 2009 death quotes state medical examiner Mindy Hall as saying that Plymouth DA Timothy Cruz misrepresented her comments about Messier's death, making it seem as if she blamed the patient for his own death.

Cruz cited Hall's investigation when he explained why he did not file criminal charges against the guards.

Those guards were eventually indicted last month after an investigation by a special prosecutor.

"This is about the administration of justice in the commonwealth and whether the chief law enforcement officer in a county can make statements characterizing, as giving reasons of why he didn't prosecute, of a key forensic witness that simply were never true," said attorney Eric MacLeish, who represents Messier's family.

Cruz on Tuesday said he stands by his decision and maintains no crime was committed.

Listen to our full conversation with Eric MacLeish above.

This article was originally published on May 13, 2015.

This segment aired on May 13, 2015.

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Deborah Becker Host/Reporter
Deborah Becker is a senior correspondent and host at WBUR. Her reporting focuses on mental health, criminal justice and education.

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