State prosecutors in the ongoing Manslaughter proceedings against Liberian Economist Samuel P. Jackson have formally petitioned Criminal Court “A” to reconsider and rescind its earlier ruling granting the defense permission to conduct an independent autopsy on the late Toni Jackson, wife of the defendant.
In their motion, prosecutors argued that the cause and manner of Mrs. Jackson’s death remain central to the fair and just determination of the case. They requested Presiding Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie to set aside his previous decision authorizing forensic medical practitioner Dr. Rockefeller F. Cooper II to conduct or assist in the autopsy.
The State’s five-count motion contends that reconsideration is necessary in the interest of justice, fairness, and the proper administration of evidence. Prosecutors maintained that only a duly accredited pathologist should perform such a procedure, emphasizing that the Liberia Medical and Dental Council (LMDC), the statutory regulatory authority established under the Liberia Medical and Dental Council Act of 2010, must guide all medical-legal determinations involving human death.
As evidence, prosecutors attached a communication from the LMDC stating that Dr. Cooper is not a pathologist but a licensed Forensic Death Investigator. The Council confirmed that he was certified in 2025 under the Allied Health category and is therefore not qualified to independently perform a forensic autopsy.
On April 19, 2026, Judge Willie ruled on the prosecution’s Bill of Exceptions filed against the defendant, while simultaneously upholding Samuel P. Jackson’s earlier request for an independent autopsy.
The court granted the defense permission after Jackson’s legal team submitted a consolidated motion seeking a private post-mortem review rather than relying solely on the government’s report. At the time, prosecutors did not object, prompting Judge Willie to approve the autopsy at Jackson’s expense, with all findings to be submitted directly to the court.
Following that ruling, the court also heard arguments on the State’s challenge to the US$20,000 property valuation bond that secured Jackson’s temporary release on April 3, 2026. Defendant Jackson, in connection with the death of his wife, Toni Jackson, was charged with Manslaughter and Negligent Homicide.
