Before the weekend, let’s get caught up on where things stand on legal proceedings surrounding Freddie Gray’s death. Even though the trials of the police officers accused in Gray’s death are on hold, a couple late-week developments are changing what’s publicly known about the case.
The trial of Officer Caesar Goodson, Jr. remains on hold, pending an appeals court ruling on whether Officer William Porter will have to testify. The appeals court won’t take the case until March. In the meantime, more officers were scheduled to go to trial in February, but that remains up in the air.
On Thursday, prosecutors filed a motion to have Porter testify at the remaining four trials, as well. Judge Barry Williams will rule on that motion at a hearing on Wednesday, Jan. 20. Given the appeal in Goodson’s case, it seems likely that the losing side of the hearings on Wednesday will also appeal.
Then, on Friday, a juror in Porter’s trial broke their silence to Baltimore Sun reporters Justin Fenton and Kevin Rector, revealing how the deadlocked jury’s votes broke down. The juror, who remained anonymous, revealed that the jury was one vote from acquitting Porter on the most serious charge he faced of manslaughter. The lesser charges had closer voting margins, but in the case of misconduct in office and reckless endangerment, the majority of the jurors who voted were leaning toward conviction. The reporting shows where everyone stands with Porter still left to face a jury again in June.
