A judge has cleared Baltimore Police Officer Caesar Goodson Jr. of all charges in the 2015 death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray.
Goodson, 46, drove the van that transported Gray to central booking; Gray later died of injuries sustained while he was in police custody. Goodson was facing the most serious charges of all six officers charged in connection to Gray's death, including depraved-heart murder, a second-degree charge that carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. Goodson was also indicted for second-degree assault, misconduct in office, reckless endangerment and three counts of manslaughter. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
One of the prosecution's major arguments hinged on the failure to buckle Gray’s seatbelt -- a mistake that, arguably, caused Gray to suffer a spinal cord injury similar to those seen in high-speed car crashes.
During opening statements in the trial, the prosecutor in the case, Chief Deputy State's Attorney Michael Schatzow, maintained that Goodson was at fault for Gray's injuries, The Baltimore Sun reported. Schatzow told the court that Gray was "injured because he got a 'rough ride'" due to "the way the officer transported him."
But Judge Barry Williams, who was presiding, said the state failed to prove Goodson had malicious intentions.
“In order for there to be a conviction, the state must show, not that the defendant failed to do an act required by the duties of his office, but that the defendant corruptly failed to do an act required by the duties of his office,” Williams said in his verdict.
William Murphy, the attorney representing Gray's family, said during a press conference Thursday evening that "they hope for justice, whatever that is."
Murphy advocated for an open-court system, which would allow cameras into the courtroom. He says this move would ease the anger surrounding the cases since observers wouldn’t have to “wonder about whether the verdict was a just verdict.”
On April 12, 2015, Gray was arrested and suffered a fatal spinal cord injury in police custody. He died on April 19, triggering citywide protests against police brutality. After Gray’s funeral on April 27, the unrest escalated and residents looted stores, set fires and threw rocks at police lines.
Goodson, who is the third of six officers to stand trial in connection to Gray’s death, opted for a bench trial. Officer Edward Nero, who also elected a bench trial, was cleared on all charges last month. Baltimore Police Officer William Porter was the first to stand trial in December, but the jury could not reach a verdict.
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who faced backlash for her handling of the protests that followed Gray's death, released a statement asking residents to "continue to respect the judicial process and ruling of the court."
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said in a statement that he "continues to respect the legal process, as well as the court’s decision."
But Rashad Robinson, executive director of the activist organization Color Of Change, said the verdict was nonsensical.
“It’s preposterous that Freddie Gray’s death was ruled a homicide, but not a single person has been held responsible. Acquitting Officer Goodson -- who gave Gray the 'rough ride' that led to his death -- sends a clear message to Black communities that the police and larger justice system are not designed to protect us,” he said in an email.
“It is heartbreaking that Freddie Gray, his family and the people of Baltimore were once again denied justice today,” Robinson added. “But, we’ll honor Gray’s memory by continuing to fight in Baltimore and across the country to break the vicious cycle of police violence against Black communities in our country.”
Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis also weighed in, saying he is "pleased by the peaceful manner" residents have shown. Davis also pointed out the number of formal and informal changes made by the department since Gray's death.
"The Baltimore Police Department has taken many progressive steps to improve over the last year. We will continue to adopt and implement policing practices consistent with the expectations of our community,” Davis said in a statement. “We all have a leadership role to play at this moment. Thank you for doing your part to sustain the momentum of our ongoing progress."
Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby has come under scrutiny for the lack of convictions in all the cases that have been tried so far. Some legal observers are even suggesting that Mosby drop the charges against the remaining officers. But criminal defense attorney Barry Slotnick, who has been following the case, says Mosby has no choice but to proceed.
“They brought a case where various defendants have been found to be involved and now there is a need for the trial and those trials are going to happen; they won’t drop the charges of this highly emotional case,” Slotnick told The Huffington Post. “There are just too many issues involved and I don’t think the prosecution can drop the charges. I think they’re stuck, but I don’t think that anyone is going to be convicted in the end.”
Murphy, the attorney for Gray's family, said they support Mosby “because they believe she is fighting for a just cause.”
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) said that Judge Williams had been fair throughout the cases but that he understands residents' frustration with the verdict.
"I understand those emotions. But we must continue to channel our energies into efforts to improve our city for all residents, and continue to improve our police department's practices and procedures to ensure that the policing of our streets is conducted professionally, safely, and fairly in all parts of our city,” Cummings said in a statement. “Baltimore's future does not rest on the outcomes of the trials surrounding Mr. Freddie Gray's death. Baltimore's future rests on every one of us."
This article has been updated to include details of the verdict and statements from elected officials and from William Murphy.
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