Officer William Porter will face trial again next year in connection with Freddie Gray’s death.
According to Reuters, Porter will be tried again after the other five Baltimore police officers accused in the case. A June 13 start date was set at a hearing on Monday. Porter faces four charges, including manslaughter. A mistrial was declared in his first trial last week after the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict. Monday’s announcement signals that the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s office has opted to try again to convict Porter, and potentially that they are moving forward without having Porter provide testimony in the other five trials.
The decision on Porter’s trial also means that the focus will now shift to the next officer scheduled to face a jury. Officer Caesar Goodson was the driver of the van, and faces the most serious charges of any officer, including second degree depraved heart murder. Jury selection in Goodson’s trial is set to start on Jan. 6. The four other officers are scheduled to face trial following Goodson, with Porter’s falling last.
