Judge Stops Cop Trials Pending Review: Freddie Gray Case

BALTIMORE, MD – The Maryland Court of Appeals has stopped proceedings in the police officer trials related to the death of Freddie Gray pending a review, judicial officials announced Thursday.

The court will be reviewing the law as it applies to the situation of Officer William Porter, whom a judge compelled to testify in the trials of some of his fellow officers, with the offer of immunity.

The announcement:

The Maryland Court of Appeals has granted petitions for writ of certiorari in five cases related to the arrest and death of Freddie Gray, staying the proceedings in the cases pending in the Circuit Court for the City of Baltimore.

The cases will be argued in the Court of Appeals on Thursday, March 3, 2016. The cases of Caesar Goodson v. State of Maryland and Alicia White v. State of Maryland were consolidated in the Court of Special Appeals. The cases of State of Maryland v. Edward Nero, State of Maryland v. Garrett Miller, and State of Maryland v. Brian Rice will be argued on the same day.

Appellants’ briefs are due to the Court on February 24, 2016, and Appellees’ briefs are due on February 29, 2016. Any replies are due on March 2, 2016. Links to the relevant orders are below:

The announcement came the day before a pretrial hearing was scheduled for Officer Edward Nero, 30.

Nero is one of six officers charged in the death of Gray, a 25-year-old Baltimore man who was arrested in April 2015 and died a week later from an injury that prosecutors allege he sustained in a police van.

Officer Caesar Goodson, Officer William Porter, Sgt. Alicia White, Officer Garrett Miller, Officer Edward Nero and Lt. Brian Rice face charges ranging from misconduct in office to manslaughter to murder.

Porter was the first to have his case heard in Baltimore City Circuit Court and the case ended in a mistrial in December because of a hung jury. His trial was rescheduled for June.

See Also:

• Appeals Hearing Set for Freddie Gray Murder Trial
• Freddie Gray Case: Officer Not Testifying in 3 Trials