In Baltimore(us)policeman goes on trial for murder case

A Baltimore police officer charged with
murder in the 2015 death of black detainee
Freddie Gray goes on trial on Thursday as
Maryland prosecutors seek their first
conviction in the high-profile case.
Officer Caesar Goodson Jr., 46, who drove the
police van in which Gray broke his neck, is

the third officer to face trial for his death.
The April 2015 incident triggered protests and
rioting and stoked a U.S. debate on police
treatment of minorities.
Goodson waived a jury trial on Monday and
Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Barry
Williams will decide the case after acquitting
another officer last month. Legal experts say
jurors have faced popular pressure in the
majority black city to convict someone in the
case, while police officers generally opt for a
bench trial because they think judges are
more likely to acquit or impose a lighter
sentence.
Goodson faces a charge of second-degree
depraved heart murder, the most serious
charge against the six officers accused in
Gray's death.
Tim Maloney, a Maryland lawyer who has
handled police misconduct cases, said the
seriousness of the charge made Goodson's
case crucial for prosecutors. Two previous
trials ended in a mistrial and the acquittal in
May.
"This is considered their marquee trial, and
if you don't win this one, it sort of casts
some doubt on the rest of the cases," Maloney
said.
Gray, 25, was arrested when he fled officers
unprovoked in a high-crime area. Shouting
about his arrest, Gray was bundled into a
police transport van while shackled and was
not seat-belted, a violation of protocol.
An autopsy concluded that Gray could not
break his fall inside the van during abrupt
turns or stops. The trial is expected to focus
on medical evidence and department
procedures.
Goodson, who is African-American, also is
charged with three counts of manslaughter,
second-degree assault, reckless
endangerment and misconduct in office. If
convicted on all charges, he faces more than
68 years in prison.
David Jaros, an associate law professor at the
University of Baltimore, said prosecutors are
likely to contend that, as the van driver,
Goodson had custody of Gray and more
training than other officers about
transporting suspects.
"The question is going to be, 'How reckless is
it to drive with someone who's passively
resisting arrest and is shackled and not
buckled in?' " he said.
Williams acquitted Officer Edward Nero in
May of misdemeanor charges.