Baltimore riots

The mis-trial announced an hour ago.

The courthouse is literally across the street from where I work. Traffic looks normal, no crowds, no sirens. Right now, everything looks perfectly normal except for the three local news helicopters hovering over the courthouse.

I believe (and hope) that the scenes from Spring will not be replayed. The riots hurt Baltimore in so many ways. Really, nothing good came of them for anyone. Also, because the defendants are being tried separately, I think it diffuses the impact of any one of the trials.

Right now, just crossing my fingers and hoping everyone remains calm.

Cnn and msnbc got the gasoline trucks on the way. Media handing out pitch forks...they need viewership and to sell some advertising

Got a great price from a street vender on a case of.....grenades

Nero should never have been charged - Baltimore Sun (http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-nero-trial-20160525-story.html)

Ms. Mosby first claimed police had no legal justification to chase, stop, frisk, or arrest Gray. But Ms. Mosby was wrong. Her office now concedes that the pursuit of Gray, who ran from police at a drug corner, was legal. So was Gray's initial detention. This is indisputable. Ms. Mosby quietly dropped charges of illegal imprisonment, but despite clear evidence of no crime, she continued with the criminal prosecution of six officers on other charges.


Baltimore must be run by idiots...

Baltimore must be run by idiots...


Well, it is populated by them.

What the article doesn't say is that the State's Attorney's Office had specifically requested the BCPD to use "heightened enforcement" in Gray's neighborhood two weeks before his arrest.

Prediction? Mosby wins reelection in a landslide.

How very true. I've had some recent association with a couple individuals that were out there rioting and let me just say to put it nicely, they will never be candidates for brain surgeon.

What a farce:
Freddie Gray | Marilyn Mosby | Caesar Goodson (http://legalinsurrection.com/2016/06/freddie-gray-trial-implosion-medical-examiner-first-believed-injury-was-accident/)

In what would be a shocking turn of events in any trial other than one brought by Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, state prosecutors have for the first time introduced into court evidence that medical examiner Carol Allan had at one point believed Gray’s death was an accident, reports the Baltimore Sun.

This disclosure was made on the fourth day of the “Freddie Gray” trial of van driver Officer Caesar Goodson, who is charged with depraved-heart murder among other charges in Freddie Gray’s death, and only after the lengthy previous “Freddie Gray” trials of Officer William Porter and Officer Edward Nero. Porter’s jury trial ended in a hung jury, and he is scheduled to be re-tried. Nero’s bench trial ended in an acquittal.

In her own testimony earlier this week Dr. Allan told the court that “The word ‘accident’ never crossed my lips to anyone, other than to say, ‘This is not an accident.'” Allan has claimed that she always believed Gray’s injury and death to have been a homicide, not an accident. Allan gave similar testimony in the prior Freddie Gray trials of Officers William Porter and Edward Nero.

Today, however, prosecutors introduced new evidence, for the first time, indicating that during a meeting with police investigators last year Allan had suggested that Gray’s death was an accident.

Trial Judge Barry Williams ruled that he would allow this new evidence to be admitted despite the fact that it was facially inadmissible. He made this remarkable decision in an effort to “fashion a remedy” for the fact that prosecutors have on numerous occasions concealed exculpatory evidence from the various “Freddie Gray” trial defense teams, despite a legal duty to disclose such exculpatory evidence in discovery.

Another take on the incompetence:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/trial-set-to-continue-for-officer-charged-with-murder-in-freddie-gray-case/2016/06/14/6b268fa0-3265-11e6-8ff7-7b6c1998b7a0_story.html

BALTIMORE — Defense attorneys will be allowed to call as a witness a Baltimore City police detective whose testimony could contradict the medical examiner who declared Freddie Gray’s death a homicide.

Judge Barry G. Williams granted the unusual move after he determined Wednesday that prosecutors again failed to turn over evidence that could help defense attorneys in the trial of Officer Caesar Goodson Jr. The new evidence emerged after Williams ordered prosecutors to take several days to conduct another review and submit materials connected to the case by Monday morning after finding last week that the state’s attorney’s office had violated discovery rules.

So, the prosecution closed its case with an expert on "retaliatory prison transports" intending to bolster its case that the van driver (Officer Goodson) gave Gray a "Baltimore Rough Ride" which led to Gray being tossed around in the back of the van and, ultimately, to his deadly injury.

There was just one problem. After reviewing video of the van as it transported Gray, and based on the standard of care he had articulated, the expert could not conclude "to a reasonable degree of certainty" that Goodson violated the articulated standard of care.

"It's extremely important that the ride be as smooth as possible to prevent the person in the back from being propelled around the inside," Franklin testified.

Defense attorney Matthew Fraling asked Franklin whether he had seen anything in his review of surveillance video which suggested that Goodson had driven the van erratically.

"It's not your contention that Officer Goodson in any way engaged in a rough ride?" Fraling pressed Franklin.

"I can't say for sure," Franklin replied.

State Rests Case Against Baltimore Police Officer | Officer.com (http://www.officer.com/news/12221418/state-rests-case-against-baltimore-police-officer)

Motions to Dismiss this morning. Doubt they are granted as to all counts. Would not be surprised if the 2nd degree murder case is dismissed but the manslaughter charges remain. Ultimately, doubt Goodson gets found guilty of even manslaughter.

Prosecutors are simply trying to make something out of nothing. When your own expert says he can't be sure about your case, you have a real problem. Throw in the failure to disclose exculpatory evidence by the prosecution and this has just been a really shoddy job.

In addition, during the trial Officer Porter - who earlier had a hung jury - was compelled to give testimony including certain statements prosecutors had used against him in his prior trial. I think, however, now that he has been compelled to testify about these matters, prosecutors cannot use the statements in Porter's re-trial in September.

These cases were never about finding justice or prosecuting criminals; it was all about appeasing the mob - which was never concerned about justice, just mob vengeance.

From the sloppy handling of Gray's arrest and transport (I have consistently said, you go into a police van alive, you ought to come out alive and the cops ought to take appropriate precautions to ensure that), to the riots, the slap-dash indictments, and the sloppy prosecutions, the whole bloody episode is just a sad, sad tale.

Mosby ought to be kicked out of office for her unprofessionalism in handling of the whole mess. She won't, however. Rather, she will probably be reelected in a landslide.

Court denies the motion to acquit. Called the 2nd degree murder charge a close call but looking at all the in a light most favorable to the State, determined it was viable at this stage.

Driver in the Freddie Gray case acquitted of all criminal charges. The Judge "dismantled" the prosecutors case.

No-nonsense judge smashes state's case in Officer Goodson trial - Carroll County Times (http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/bs-md-rodricks-0624-20160623-column.html)

A few protestors but no big demonstrations.

Bottom line, if they couldn't get the driver for anything, unlikely they will get any of the officers.

Mind you, the City has essentially admitted negligence by paying $6.4 million to Gray's family as part of a wrongful death / excessive force settlement. Negligence, however, does not constitute criminal behavior.