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The Jury deliberated 3 days and hung on all 4 charges. Interesting development - best guess was they would convict on at least one charge. Let's hope that Baltimore can keep a lid on the crowds that want a lynching.
I've been following the case from the beginning. This article gives some info on the trial.
The Jury deliberated 3 days and hung on all 4 charges. Interesting development - best guess was they would convict on at least one charge. Let's hope that Baltimore can keep a lid on the crowds that want a lynching.
Judge Barry G. Williams on Wednesday declared a mistrial in the trial of Officer William G. Porter on all four counts.
Porter, 26, was charged with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office in the April arrest and death of Freddie Gray. For those who don't remember - Porter was the young Black officer that checked on Gray twice during his transport to Jail and when arriving at the Jail, sent him to the hospital.
Attorneys will appear in court in front of an administrative judge Thursday to pick a retrial date. Porter is not expected to attend. Prosecutor Mosby left the Court House immediately with no comment.
Now that a mistrial has been declared, it is up to prosecutors to decide whether to put Porter on trial again.
In making that decision, prosecutors must weigh their chances of securing a conviction in a subsequent trial, said J. Amy Dillard, associate processor at the University of Baltimore School of Law. She said deadlocked juries are most common in "cases that pose complex issues."
The mistrial also could have implications for the legal strategies in the cases against the five other officers, who are set to be tried individually next year in similarly complex cases.
So does everyone remember back right after Freddie Gray's death and the subsequent Baltimore riots, looting and arson? The Baltimore State's Attorney was widely accused by those people who looked closely at the charges of exaggerating these charges for political purposes.
Of course that was all very popular with the knee-jerk supporters of the rioters when she prematurely filed these charges. But now it appears that these charges did not pass muster with the jury for Officer Porter and that is likely to be the case with some of the others as well.
These officers should be held accountable for any wrongdoing they committed. Unfortunately, a grandstanding, politically motivated state's attorney may have undermined any hopes of seeing that happen.
So, what is the cost of that? Any guesses? More riots, looting and arsons, perhaps?
Last edited by Spartacus713; 12-16-2015 at 04:38 PM..
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Looks like the work day ends at 2 p.m. in Baltimore...
Mistrial in Baltimore
