Officer Goodson Court Proceedings Start in January

BALTIMORE, MD -- Court proceedings for the second officer to be tried in the death of Freddie Gray will begin next week.

Pretrial motions in the case of Officer Caesar Goodson will begin on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, in Courthouse East.

Goodson drove the police van that contained Gray, a 25-year-old Baltimore man arrested April 12 who died a week later from what officials allege was a spinal injury in police custody.

After Gray’s funeral in late April, there were riots in parts of Baltimore City, drawing the National Guard to help quell the unrest.

Days after the riots, State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced charges against six officers involved in Gray’s detainment.

Goodson, 46, faces the most serious charges among the officers: second-degree depraved-heart murder, manslaughter, second-degree assault, vehicular manslaughter, criminal negligent manslaughter, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment.

Jury selection for Goodson’s trial will start Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, in the Clarence Mitchell Jr. Courthouse.

Before jury selection, court officials say Judge Barry Williams may rule upon the pretrial motions.

The state has filed two in the past two weeks:

• A request to forbid mention of Gray’s criminal record, previous interactions with corrections/law enforcement officers, previous hospitalizations, lead paint exposure and prior civil claims and/or settlements, arguing that it would be “confusing, misleading and prejudicial” to the jury.
• A request for the police van to be brought into evidence for jurors’ inspection in the garage below the courthouse, as it was in the trial of Officer William Porter.

Officer Porter was the first of the six Baltimore Police officers to stand trial in Gray’s death.

On the third day of deliberations, jurors informed Judge Williams that they could not reach a verdict.

Williams declared a mistrial on Dec. 16 in that case, and Porter will head to trial again on June 13, 2016.

• Jury Hung on Officer’s Role in Freddie Gray’s Death
• Baltimore Mayor Calls for ‘Unified City’ After Mistrial
• Freddie Gray’s Stepfather: ‘We Are Not at All Upset...’
• Gray Family to Receive $6.4M in Wrongful Death Settlement
• Man Dies Week After Mysterious Baltimore City Arrest