The Baltimore police officer who faces the most serious charges in the death of Freddie Gray is headed to trial this week.
Officer Caesar R. Goodson Jr. drove the van in which the medical examiner ruled that the 25-year-old West Baltimore man suffered a fatal spinal injury in April 2015. Alone among the six Baltimore officers accused in Gray’s arrest and death, he has been charged with murder.
Goodson, 46, is expected to elect a jury trial this week on charges that include what’s known as depraved-heart murder, a second-degree charge that carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
Officer Caesar Goodson arrives at court #GoodsonTrial #FreddieGray @cbsbaltimore pic.twitter.com/ojWCiqCr34
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) June 6, 2016
He also faces three counts of manslaughter and charges of second-degree assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment. The trial comes two weeks after Officer Edward M. Nero was acquitted in a bench trial of four misdemeanor counts related to Gray’s arrest.
Motions in the case will be heard Monday, and jury selection could begin thereafter.
Goodson’s case presents a unique challenge for prosecutors in that he was the only one of the six officers who did not give a statement to investigators. The trial is expected to feature medical experts giving contrasting opinions over exactly how and when Gray was injured.
Live updates for #GoodsonTrial
Just look at this cocka mania bullshit here. How could he move around? He couldn’t even walk to the van, was in severe pain.
https://twitter.com/saliqaWBAL/status/740950493371981824
So therefore FreddieGray severed 80% of his own spine and crushed his voice box because he had “jailitis”?
https://twitter.com/saliqaWBAL/status/740951219099828224
This is literally making me sick.
https://twitter.com/justin_fenton/status/740939543969472512
Screaming in pain is causing a scene? “If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you & say you enjoyed it.” Zora Neale Hurston
https://twitter.com/justin_fenton/status/740940387989237760
https://twitter.com/saliqaWBAL/status/740941026194542592
https://twitter.com/PKBNews/status/740939792632909824
https://twitter.com/jlepolastewart/status/740939815106039808
https://twitter.com/MKhan47/status/740939600500248577
https://twitter.com/HellgrenWJZ/status/740934254897532928
Goodson of all cops I thought would get sentenced, but right now Judge Williams is indicating OTHERWISE. He’s clearly going after the prosecution.
THIS DOESN’T BODE WELL AT ALL. UGH
You see this ISH?
https://twitter.com/saliqaWBAL/status/740921790210441216
https://twitter.com/Reporterroblang/status/740921758866280448
https://twitter.com/cbsbaltimore/status/740921019905544194
https://twitter.com/saliqaWBAL/status/740920422707912704
https://twitter.com/HellgrenWJZ/status/740920143786725376
https://twitter.com/saliqaWBAL/status/740920132013330432
https://twitter.com/BrianfromABC2/status/740573617008840704
Just ignore the corpse with the broken neck and file lawsuits against the (black) prosecutor.
Exactly. How dare this black prosecutor charge me.
https://twitter.com/BrianfromABC2/status/740568966784024576
https://twitter.com/BrendanABC2/status/740843184645939201
https://twitter.com/cbsbaltimore/status/740861054394073088
What did they promise this negro?
https://twitter.com/justin_fenton/status/740730881053216768
This black ass negro!
https://twitter.com/justin_fenton/status/740725883133132800
Banging himself? Lying sack of sh!t.
Coerced. Period.
It’s so clear.
https://twitter.com/rick00979/status/740909374592430080
https://twitter.com/HellgrenWJZ/status/740889344664326144
https://twitter.com/saliqaWBAL/status/740893628718063617
https://twitter.com/cbsbaltimore/status/740719113438433280
https://twitter.com/SnyderWBALTV/status/740888932406198272
https://twitter.com/jlepolastewart/status/740895204178309120
Great post + comment posts, SG2. Thanks for keeping me updated.
I’m already starting to get depressed, Yahtc
Let’s hold onto hope for now.
As far as Nero and Miller, Miller is in deeper… perhaps the judge will recognize that when Miller’s trial comes up.
https://twitter.com/lizzzbrown/status/739847342833074177
https://twitter.com/lizzzbrown/status/739845129574354945
https://twitter.com/lizzzbrown/status/739843733051428864
https://twitter.com/lizzzbrown/status/739842836917407747
https://twitter.com/lizzzbrown/status/739841072369541122
I wish these cops weren’t having separate trials. Does anyone know why they were separated?
The hell of it is, a single trial with multiple defendants may have been difficult, but the prosecution could have presented a single cohesive story. That is what I feel is needed. What does the evidence show that this gang of cops did to kill Freddie Gray? They needed to present one story, challenged one time by one set of defense lawyers and decided by a JURY.
At this point, I have no idea what to expect of the judge. But I don’t trust him with a bench trial and a cop for a defendant. We’ve seen this already.
I don’t trust him either. I am seething at him about the Nero Trial.
https://www.facebook.com/MichaelCoard/posts/1242708775757701
Yeah, I wasn’t ready for that either.
This is not to say the prosecution does not have a single story because they do. What I intended to say is that they needed to present the whole story one time and have it challenged one time. The multiple trials with multiple defense teams defending one cop at a time isn’t working, at least so far. It makes the “my guy was just doing his job based on what he believed at the time” defense too easy, in my opinion, despite the fact that a man was killed.
https://twitter.com/ChuckModi1/status/739829964757970944
So, Bench Trial + Cop Defendant = Acquittal.
Good Lord. There is so much corruption and injustice so deeply embedded in the criminal justice “system” that it is difficult to imagine what it will take to change. Start with the low hanging fruit, I guess. But cops killing and maiming with impunity and the blessing of the state is the crisis from hell. And then there’s the DOJ…
https://twitter.com/HellgrenWJZ/status/739833972851642368
https://twitter.com/lizzzbrown/status/739832990197420032
https://twitter.com/lizzzbrown/status/739831142052855809
https://twitter.com/HellgrenWJZ/status/739800387142684672
“The trial is expected to feature medical experts giving contrasting opinions over exactly how and when Gray was injured.”
What I’ve been saying. Everyone is guilty, therefore no is guilty. I will always believe that FG’s neck was broken, his spine bruised or severed, and his larynx crushed in the first assault. Certainly the rough handling of his body and the unrestrained van ride could have advanced the injury to his spine being severed to 80 percent and almost certainly did.
So what do we have here? A gang of cops mutilate and maim an innocent black man and leave him with life threatening injuries. They continue the mutilation while transporting him, but not to a hospital. He dies days later from the injuries inflicted by the COPS and from absolutely no other source.
But they are not guilty.
https://twitter.com/saliqaWBAL/status/739827917576929280
https://twitter.com/saliqaWBAL/status/739790187010613248
https://twitter.com/saliqaWBAL/status/739823223202828289
https://twitter.com/saliqaWBAL/status/739821374701768708
https://twitter.com/saliqaWBAL/status/739821817163067392
https://twitter.com/PaulaReidCBS/status/739818271784992770
Media is at it again. Try reporting the facts, just the facts. Win or lose, all criminals deserve their day in court, even when the criminals are cops. The tide does turn, eventually, but not if we give up.
GO TO HELL PAULA REID.
https://twitter.com/baltimoresun/status/739824321829429248
https://twitter.com/RectorSun/status/739823178365739009
https://twitter.com/JeffABC2News/status/739821524752945152
https://twitter.com/justin_fenton/status/739820449698357248
https://twitter.com/HellgrenWJZ/status/739821940798558209
So, another bench trial? What will Judge Williams do this time?
The reason for these pretend trials is to quell anger and make folks believe that justice is within reach.
We know how this will END.
https://twitter.com/cbsbaltimore/status/739818400051003392
Breaking
https://twitter.com/RectorSun/status/739817711153381376
Does this mean Judge Williams will give Goodson a pat on the head and an acquittal ALSO TOO?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m giving him the side eye.