Freddie Gray jury ends day without verdict

Prosecutors say Officer Porter ignored Gray’s pleas for medical help and failed to seatbelt him in the van.

But two physicians testifying for the defense said Gray’s death likely happened after the fourth stop.

Jurors asked questions Tuesday morning, requesting Post-It notes, highlighters, water, an easel and a list of exhibits. The panel spent three hours deliberating Monday.

Jurors who’ve said they’re deadlocked in the trial of Baltimore police Officer William Porter will have a night to sleep on it before they return to court. He is the first of six officers, black and white, charged in Gray’s death.

Thornton writes that the school system supports students’ right to express their emotions and will facilitate ways for them to do so. The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office also is prepared to help. The judge instructed them to keep deliberating, The Associated Press reported.

Jurors began to deliberate around 2 p.m. Monday.

The jury sent a note to Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams after about nine hours of discussions over two days.

Defense attorneys have repeatedly requested that the trial be moved from the majority black city, saying the unrest and intense publicity tainted prospects for a fair trial.

Gray died while in the custody of Baltimore police earlier this year after an arrest and transport in a police van. Assistant State’s Attorney Janice Bledsoe delivered the prosecution’s closing argument. The 25-year-old was detained after he ran from officers in his West Baltimore neighborhood.

Gray told Porter he needed medical aid and Porter put him onto a van bench. “This case is based on rush to judgment and fear”. “Porter had the opportunity on four or five occasions to wield his power to save Freddie Gray”. As for the definitions, the judge said he could not expand on his jury instructions.

Porter is charged with manslaughter, assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct.

Williams told jurors that in order to find Porter guilty of manslaughter they must determine that he acted in a “grossly negligent manner” and “created a high degree of risk to human life”. The terms are “evil motive”, “bad faith” and “not honestly”.

“We certainly don’t want that visual to look like we’re expecting something”, he said, “because we aren’t”. “If Porter walks, shut it down”, the group said on social media.

Authorities sought to prevent more trouble ahead of the verdict, opening an emergency center on Monday and urging parents to control their children.

“That alone should raise doubts in the jury”, Murtha said.

Gray’s death was indeed a “horrific tragedy” but “there is literally no evidence” Porter is responsible, he said.

Porter testified that he did not put Gray in a seat belt, for fear he might grab his gun, even though Porter said that when he discovered Gray on the floor of the police van, he was having “an adrenaline dump”, and was unable to move.

The researchers made recommendations similar to those in an earlier report, including the development of policies for mass demonstrations and improved intelligence-gathering, according to a statement from Rawlings-Blake, the mayor. Porter faces manslaughter and other charges in the arrest and death of Gray. If convicted, Porter faces up to 25 years in prison.

They said Gray was seriously hurt by then, but this was denied by Porter who said Gray appeared uninjured. “It’s got Gray’s blood on it”, she said.

The city is preparing itself for the possibility of more violence upon the verdict.

“I don’t say burn – come on; this is where we live”. It is unknown when they might come to a decision.

They say they stopped again and officers checked on Gray three more times during the journey. They say Gray’s death had nothing to do with the officer’s actions.

Meanwhile, the defense attorneys’ characterization is that Porter is a falsely accused police officer who asked his supervisors to bring the man to the hospital.

Porter’s trial is beginning its third week.

Misconduct in office: Corrupt behavior by an officer in the exercise of the duties of his or her office or while acting under color of office. Court was set to start at 9 a.m. Monday.

Prosecutors gave impassioned final statements to the jury Monday, saying the officer lied when he took the witness stand in his own defense and that his “callous indifference” doomed Gray to suffer in a “casket on wheels”. Prosecutors say Porter is partially responsible for not buckling Gray into a seat belt and for not calling for an ambulance when Gray indicated he needed aid. Gray was handcuffed and his feet were shackled, but he was not buckled into his seat. His death sparked widespread protests against police brutality, and his funeral was followed by rioting, looting and arson.