Freddie Gray case | Judge to issue verdict in Officer Caesar Goodson trial

Posted on June 23, 2016 by SouthernGirl2

caesar goodson-trial 18A Baltimore judge is expected to issue a verdict in the second-degree murder trial of police Officer Caesar Goodson, Jr. on Thursday morning.

Goodson, 46, was the driver of the transport van in which Freddie Gray sustained a fatal injury in April 2015. He died a week later, and six police officers involved in his arrest and transport were criminally charged.

He is the third officer to stand trial in the high-profile case, which has so far yielded no convictions. The trial of Officer William Porter ended in a hung jury and mistrial in December, and the trial of Officer Edward Nero ended last month with Nero being acquitted of all four misdemeanor counts.

Goodson, a 16-year veteran of the force, elected for a bench trial, leaving his fate in the hands of Circuit Judge Barry Williams instead of a jury.

City officials and police are preparing for any protests and demonstrations that may follow the verdict. Police have canceled leave for officers Thursday, and a spokesman for the mayor said.

Goodson is charged with second-degree depraved-heart murder, second-degree assault, misconduct in office, involuntary manslaughter, manslaughter by vehicles (gross negligence), manslaughter by vehicles (criminal negligence) and reckless endangerment.

About SouthernGirl2

A Native Texan who adores baby kittens, loves horses, rodeos, pomegranates, & collect Eagles. Enjoys politics, games shows, & dancing to all types of music. Loves discussing and learning about different cultures. A Phi Theta Kappa lifetime member with a passion for Social & Civil Justice.
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91 Responses to Freddie Gray case | Judge to issue verdict in Officer Caesar Goodson trial

  1. Ametia says:
    June 25, 2016 at 3:35 pm

    RIDDLE ME THIS:

    IF FREDDIE GRAY’S DEATH WAS DETERMINED A HOMICIDE, THEN WHO K.I.L.L.E.D HIM?

    THE EVIDENCE CONCOCTED THAT HE DID IT HIMSELF, WOULD BE DEEMED SUICIDE, BUT THIS IS NOT WHAT WAS DETERMINED BY SO-CALLED EXPERTS.

    SO WHO KILLED FREDDIE GRAY?

    Reply
  2. SouthernGirl2 says:
    June 23, 2016 at 10:05 pm

    My prayers go out to #FreddieGray’s family. I’m so sorry for ur grief. May God’s tender mercies help ease your pain.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Nua5klb4Os

    Reply
    • eliihass says:
      June 24, 2016 at 11:33 am

      The anger that came over me yesterday…

      I can’t begin to tell you…

      I decided to stay offline because I needed to hold my tongue and not make statements in anger…

      Reply
      • SouthernGirl2 says:
        June 24, 2016 at 11:35 am

        Eliihass, I held my tongue as best I could but I have some choice words for that stepinfetchit Judge. 2nd officer not guilty on all charges. Just unbelievable.

        Reply
        • eliihass says:
          June 24, 2016 at 11:46 am

          I know exactly what you mean SG…In addition to that worthless judge who has no heart …and had no qualms sacrificing Freddie Gray and his grieving family … just so he could dishonestly hold on to his mess of a job…

          There are others…but I will hold my tongue for now…

          Reply
    • eliihass says:
      June 24, 2016 at 11:38 am

      Not only that…

      Once illegally arrested (as a whole and able-bodied young man), Freddie Gray never left police custody …and any injuries he sustained subsequently, happened while he was in police custody…

      A phantom attacker didn’t injure Freddie Gray…The police who without cause or justification illegally held this young man hostage, injured and subsequently caused his untimely death …

      Reply
  5. Liza says:
    June 23, 2016 at 7:35 pm

    Today racism wormed its way thru the criminal justice system and fed on the broken body of #FreddieGray. That beast is always hungry.— Lizz Brown (@lizzzbrown) June 23, 2016

    //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Reply
  7. rikyrah says:
    June 23, 2016 at 6:30 pm

    From POU:

    sagittarius

    Anyway… lots of stuff happening this morning. The Goodson trial… check out Lizz Whatshername’s timeline on Twitter. For those who say this is a failure of Marilyn Mosby, I just gotta ask – if not her, then who? These cases are seldom filed, let alone tried. Before Brown vs. Board of Education, Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP LDF had to LEARN how to prepare the defense in order to get the results they wanted. That meant they had to lose, go back to the drawing board, take the lessons they learned and try again. I bet one of the lessons learned is that State’s Attorney offices will have to hire investigators to determine facts and that entire police departments will be treated as hostile witnesses in the search for the truth. It is apparent there are few lows departments and officers won’t sink to in order to keep the status quo of maiming and killing Black and Brown folks.

    Anyway – off my soapbox. The Creator will prevail and so will Karma. I’m off the read VSB and Twitter because I need tears for my very special cocktails tonight. Have a fantastic day!

    Reply
  8. rikyrah says:
    June 23, 2016 at 6:10 pm

    FREDDIE GRAY JOINS THE LIST OF MURDERED BLACK PEOPLE WHO NO ONE ACTUALLY MURDERED, APPARENTLY
    Damon Young, 6/23/16

    Officer Caesar Goodson, the driver of the police van where Freddie Gray was intentionally given a “rough ride” — an act that severed his spinal cord, placed him in a coma, and killed him — was found not guilty on each of the charges (second degree “depraved heart” murder, three different counts of manslaughter, assault, reckless endangerment, and misconduct in office) stemming from Gray’s death. He is the third officer charged in Gray’s death to escape conviction. Three more still await trial, but convictions for any of them seem extremely unlikely now.

    Naturally, this series of events leads you to believe that no one actually killed Freddie Gray. Which, of course, seems preposterous. After all, his spinal cord was severed, he was placed in a coma, and he did die as a result of the injuries he received while in that van. Someone or a group of someones must’ve done this to him. But its only preposterous if you fail to realize that it’s not without precedent. American history is full of instances of Black people 1) getting murdered, 2) having their murderers be known to the public, and 3) having those murders carried out in public with no legal consequence for the crime. Sometimes it’s done by officers of the law. Sometimes it’s done by neighborhood watchmen. Sometimes it’s done by crowds of people. And sometimes — like with the castration, burning, flaying, and lynching of Jesse Washington — the murder becomes a festive and communal event, complete with food, music, souvenirs, and commemorative postcards.

    Of course, if you’re no one; if you’re a thing that exists but doesn’t actually matter — which is how these dead Black people were regarded by their killers — no one can murder you.

    Reply
  11. SouthernGirl2 says:
    June 23, 2016 at 4:46 pm

    #SatisfyingWhiteSupremacy Ruling NOT GUILTY on ALL counts for a death that was ruled a homicide. #FreddieGray #GoodsonTrial

    Reply
  14. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    June 23, 2016 at 3:54 pm

    God bless you Marilyn Mosley!

    http://www.trbimg.com/img-55941341/turbine/bal-mosby-in-cosmo-and-vogue-poll-20150701

    I appreciate your strength and courage as you push for justice for Freddie Gray.

    Reply
    • yahtzeebutterfly says:
      June 23, 2016 at 4:16 pm

      For review from May 1, 2015:
      “Read the Transcript of Marilyn J. Mosby’s Statement on Freddie Gray”
      http://time.com/3843870/marilyn-mosby-transcript-freddie-gray/
      Excerpt:

      Officer Miller and Nero then handcuffed Mr. Gray and moved him to a location a few feet away from his surrendering location Mr. Gray was then placed in a prone position with his arms handcuffed behind his back. It was at this time that Mr. Gray indicated he could not breath and requested an inhaler to no avail. Officer Miller and Nero then placed Mr. Gray in a seated position and substantially found a knife clipped to the inside of his pants pocket. The blade of the knife was folded into the handle. The knife was not a switchblade and is lawful under Maryland law. These officers then removed the knife and placed it on the sidewalk.

      Mr. Gray was then placed back down on his stomach at which time Mr. Gray began to flail his legs and scream as Officer Miller placed Mr. Gray in a restraining technique known as a leg lace. While Officer Nero physically held him down against him will while a BPD wagon arrived to transport Mr. Gray.

      Lt. Rice, Officer Miller and Officer Nero failed to establish probable cause for Mr. Gray’s arrest as no crime had been committed by Mr. Gray. Accordingly Lt. Rice Officer MIller and Office Nero illegally arrested Mr. Gray.

      Stay strong, Marilyn Mosley. I support your effort to bring justice for Freddie Gray.

      Reply
  16. SouthernGirl2 says:
    June 23, 2016 at 2:58 pm

    Sometimes I think seeing this continual injustice will kill me. So much heart ache, so much grief.

    Reply
    • yahtzeebutterfly says:
      June 23, 2016 at 3:35 pm

      I feel your heart, SG2.

      I just want you to know that I will be redoubling my efforts to educate members of the White community about the history, issues and their White privilege and how they have a chance to bring about a better system that is fair to all and not to just those with White privilege who more often than not are immune to so much that the Black community experiences and has thrown at them.

      I refuse to feel powerless. I have power to influence and change and inspire. I will use that.

      All of the feelings I have felt today I am going to use to inspire/fuel me to keep working, to keep advocating, and to hold on to hope in my heart that I can make a difference.

      Reply
    • eliihass says:
      June 24, 2016 at 12:08 pm

      We need you not just alive, but very healthy and strong SG… to continue to fight the good and righteous fight especially for the weak and the vulnerable …and the innocent dead like Freddie Gray who cannot…

      Reply
  17. SouthernGirl2 says:
    June 23, 2016 at 2:17 pm

    The GOVERNMENT has a duty to protect it’s citizens. Are black people not citizens of this country? Where is @TheJusticeDept? #FreddieGray

    Reply
  21. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    June 23, 2016 at 12:36 pm

    These six together did it. Freddie Gray was alive before these six got ahold of him:
    http://www.trbimg.com/img-55444aa8/turbine/ct-freddie-gray-charges-20150501

    Reply
  25. Ametia says:
    June 23, 2016 at 12:05 pm

    So we called the verdict. Stevie Wonder saw this coming as well.

    LIVID……

    Now , how about AG Loretta Lynch coming to Baltimore and spew her line of standing behind the community and doing everything the DOJ can to bring these DIRTBAG KILLER COPS to justice!

    Reply
  26. SouthernGirl2 says:
    June 23, 2016 at 12:01 pm

    And the black ass judge ruled NOT GUILTY on ALL COUNTS. UNFUCK AMERICA!

    https://twitter.com/DrJasonJohnson/status/746010542284865536

    Reply
  30. SouthernGirl2 says:
    June 23, 2016 at 11:24 am

    #TrayvonMartin #MichaelBrown #EricGarner #FreddieGray

    It’s not safe for black people in America.

    @TheJusticeDept is NOT going to help.

    Reply
  31. Liza says:
    June 23, 2016 at 11:00 am

    #FreddieGray DID NOT chase himself down, unlawfully arrest himself, put himself in a van & break his own neck. He DID NOT kill himself.— D (@Delo_Taylor) June 23, 2016

    //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Reply
  32. SouthernGirl2 says:
    June 23, 2016 at 10:47 am

    There will be no justice for black life in America. Hands up,spine broken, choked to death on camera doesn’t mean a damn thing. #FreddieGray

    Reply
  34. Liza says:
    June 23, 2016 at 10:29 am

    From Hillary’s official website. She’ll fix “racial justice” as follows:

    “Strengthen bonds of trust between communities and police. African American men are far more likely to be stopped and searched by police, charged with crimes, and sentenced to longer prison terms than white men found guilty of the same offenses. From Ferguson to Staten Island to Baltimore, the patterns have become unmistakable and undeniable. Black lives matter. Everyone in this country should stand firmly behind that. Hillary believes that effective policing and constitutional policing go hand-in-hand—we can and must do both. As president, Hillary will invest in law enforcement training programs on issues such as implicit bias, use of force, and de-escalation. She will also create national guidelines for use of force, provide federal matching funds to make body cameras available to every police department in America, and support legislation to ban racial profiling by federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.”

    Hillary’s gonna get all these cops trained, yes she will. Then she’s going to make them all wear a body camera. And, finally, she will support laws that BAN racial profiling. BAN it, y’all. That means all those trained cops with body cameras just simply cannot engage in racial profiling. Isn’t this brilliant? Nothing like taking a strong position on a national crisis. Now we can get back to Trump and ISIS.

    Reply
    • yahtzeebutterfly says:
      June 23, 2016 at 10:40 am

      So she’ll fix everything as she waltzes through the tulips? La de dah. If she had tried to fix things earlier, she would know better what she is up against in the system.

      Sadly, over the past 4 years, I have become better educated in what is lurking out there… stuff that the Black community has always known.

      Reply
      • Liza says:
        June 23, 2016 at 10:44 am

        She lacks the courage and the will to do anything about police brutality and killings. She can’t even speak the words, how is she going to use the Department of Justice to deal with this or appoint an Attorney General with the balls to take it on?

        Reply
  35. SouthernGirl2 says:
    June 23, 2016 at 10:25 am

    My soul is crushed.

    Reply
    • rikyrah says:
      June 23, 2016 at 10:06 am

      Tell it, SG2
      Tell that truth

      Reply
    • Liza says:
      June 23, 2016 at 10:12 am

      This means that no one will be convicted of anything in the case of Freddie Gray.

      This is why we need the Department of Justice to prosecute these cases against cops as civil rights violations. Tell me again how Hillary Clinton is going to address this…

      Reply
    • yahtzeebutterfly says:
      June 23, 2016 at 9:57 am

      Praying for his family and loved ones.

      I am speechless.

      Reply
    • Liza says:
      June 23, 2016 at 10:04 am

      Apparently, this judge thinks no one is guilty. He can’t explain the dead, mutilated corpse of Freddie Gray, he just knows that no one is guilty of murder, or anything else for that matter.

      Arrest without probable cause and state sanctioned TORTURE and MURDER are okay in 2016 Baltimore. No wonder this country can’t move forward.

      Reply
      • yahtzeebutterfly says:
        June 23, 2016 at 10:20 am

        Yes, ’n’ how many times can a man turn his head
        Pretending he just doesn’t see?
        The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
        The answer is blowin’ in the wind

        Reply
      • Liza says:
        June 23, 2016 at 10:32 am

        I think we know with 100% certainty that the number of times a man can turn his head approaches infinity.

        Reply
  38. rikyrah says:
    June 23, 2016 at 9:52 am

    I am so sorry. I guess that they are going with that Freddie Gray killed himself and severed HIS OWN SPINE 80%.
    What the phuq is this lunacy.

    Reply
  46. Avril Somerville (SomerEmpress) says:
    June 23, 2016 at 9:15 am

    Sigh. Holding my breath.

    Reply
  50. SouthernGirl2 says:
    June 23, 2016 at 9:02 am

    God have mercy upon us. Justice For Freddie Gray, I pray!

    Reply

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