Prosecutors say Goodson was grossly negligent when he failed to buckle Gray into a seat belt and call for medical aid during Gray’s 45-minute ride in the back of Goodson’s transport van April 12, 2015.
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The accusation during opening statements at Officer Caesar Goodson’s trial was the first time prosecutors said the driver meant to hurt Gray, whose death in April 2015 touched off the worst riots in Baltimore in decades.
There was no good reason to avoid buckling Gray into the van “except to bounce him around for causing a scene”.
In a hearing before Officer Caesar Goodson’s trial, Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams admonished the state and determined that they violated discovery rules, but he ruled that opening statements could still begin Thursday. He said officers didn’t seatbelt Gray because he was “wildly combative”, and that there was no evidence to show Gray was visibly injured before the van’s final stop.
“There will be no evidence showing he gave a rough ride or drove improperly”, defence attorney Andrew Graham said at the start of what is considered the highest-profile trial in the case.
The trial of one officer in Gray’s death ended in a hung jury.
Officer Caesar Goodson also faces manslaughter, assault and other charges in the death of Freddie Gray. He ordered the prosecution to turn over all material to lawyers for Goodson and the officers still facing trial. It is beyond ridiculous that over a year after prosecutors filed charges against the officers, and into the third trial of those six officers, the judge is telling the prosecution they have until Monday to ensure all of the evidence is finally disclosed to the defense..
Allen, who was arrested after Gray and placed in the same van that Goodson was driving, told police that he heard Gray “banging his head against the metal, like he was trying to knock himself out or something”.
An autopsy concluded that Gray could not break his fall inside the van during abrupt turns or stops.
Mr Goodson, who is also charged with three counts of manslaughter, faces 30 years in prison if convicted. Police Captain Martin Bartness, who had helped draft seat-belting guidelines, said under questioning by Schatzow that van officers were responsible for detainees in their vehicles.
Gray died April 19 of previous year, a week after he suffered a critical spinal injury in Goodson’s wagon.
Judge Williams found today that prosecutors committed a so-called Brady Violation because Allen’s May 2015 statement was deemed exculpatory evidence and it’s the state’s duty to divulge this information to the defense.
Prosecutors dismissed the complaint, saying the interview produced nothing of value, and argued they didn’t need to disclose the interview because they do not plan to call the individual as a witness at trial.
University of Maryland law professor Doug Colbert said he’s not surprised that prosecutors were pursing the “rough ride” theory.
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Goodson elected to have a bench trial rather, meaning that the judge, rather than a jury, will determine his guilt or innocence.
