Jury Selection Begins In Porter Trial

Officer William Porter, 26, is the first of six officers scheduled for separate trials in Baltimore City Circuit Court for the death in April of Freddie Gray.

A verdict is likely to set the tone for the city. Ten said they had medical issues that would preclude them from serving on a jury.

Porter’s lawyers have repeatedly asked to have the trial moved out of the city, most recently at a final round of motion hearings last week based on a new study showing that residents of Baltimore who make up the jury pool have more negative views of police than those in the surrounding counties. Courthouse, Monday, Nov. 30, 2015, in Baltimore, after the arrival of William Porter, one of six Baltimore city police officers charged i… “NO ‘PASS” FOR POLICE Dave Jaros, a University of Baltimore law professor, said the charges contrast sharply with earlier cases in other cities, where police were not charged, and helped to calm the city’s streets by showing “that the political system and the judicial system were not going to give police officers a pass”.

This first trial is expected to conclude by December 17. CNN affiliate WJZ reports that she tried to commit suicide in October and is now undergoing psychiatric evaluation. As he was being transported in the police van, Gray complained of having trouble breathing and asked for medical help.

When Gray was arrested, he was initially handcuffed.

Editor’s note: A reference to Freddie Gray’s mother was removed from this story because it appeared out of context. Porter indicated that he knew of a previous arrest in which Gray allegedly tried to kick out the windows of a police vehicle. In Gray’s case, three of the officers charged are white; three black.

For several days after Gray died, the demonstrations were mostly peaceful.

Trial will begin with jury selection. At this point, according to Porter’s statements, he told Cesare Goodson, the van’s driver, that central booking would not take Gray because he was injured.

According to documents submitted by the defense, Porter’s attorneys say their client, “anticipates testifying in this matter”. That includes a state estimate of $19.4 million for emergency protective measures and public-property damage, plus $12.9 million in paid insurance claims.

An independent review of the police response revealed “major shortcomings”, and painted a portrait of an overwhelmed and under-prepared department that made tactical errors and endangered officers.

City Police Commissioner Anthony Batts has been fired and the once-popular Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has agreed not to run for election in the ensuing fallout. The U.S. Department of Justice announced a patterns and practice probe into the department stemming from allegations that officers hassled people and used excessive force.

Davis stepped in as police chief in July amid a crime spike that saw 45 homicides in a single month – a 43-year high. He says his team has met nearly on a weekly basis since April.