State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby has said Gray’s injury happened because he was handcuffed and shackled – but not buckled in – inside the police van. Roughly 45 minutes after his arrest, Gray arrived at the Western District stationhouse, where he was unresponsive. The trial schedule will be important for city police, who have been preparing for the threat of more civil unrest if the officers are acquitted.
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Prosecutors have written Williams to say that if officers who incriminate their fellow officers aren’t tried first, they might refuse to take the stand to avoid self-incrimination in their own trials, The Sun reported.
Prosecutors want Porter tried first so they can call him as a witness against the others. The results of that meeting were not made public, but Williams wrote in an earlier memo that the defendants “will be afforded an opportunity at a later time and date to place their concerns upon the record” and to argue for postponements.
Ivan Bates, an attorney for White, mentioned at the hearing his intention to file a new motion for reconsideration of the possible venue change but did not provide details. He said that could be determined only through the jury selection process.
Porter faces charges of manslaughter, assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office in the death of Gray, a black man who died after being injured in police custody. His death inspired protests and rioting in Baltimore, and came to symbolize the treatment of black men by police in America, and shed light on long-standing and systemic disenfranchisement of African American populations in the city. Goodson, the van driver, is charged with second-degree depraved-heart murder. Porter, Goodson and White were primarily involved in Gray’s transport.
Officer Edward Nero, 29, was on bicycle and arrested Gray in the 1700 block of Presbury Street; Nero is charged with second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and two counts of misconduct in office. All have pleaded not guilty and are free on bail.
In a statement to the newspaper from lawyers for all six officers, defense attorney Joseph Murtha characterized police disclosure of their clients” statements as “unfair and unconstitutional’. Rice held a yellow notepad. Porter waived his right to attend the hearing.
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After the judge pushed Porter’s trial back to November, the defense for the other five officers asked to have those trials moved up.
