Trial of First Officer of the Baltimore 6 Continues
Yesterday, the prosecution rested. The defense moved for dismissal and Judge Barry G. Williams denied their motion. The defense puts on its case starting today.
William Porter is charged with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office. He is the first of 6 Baltimore police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray. Porter’s attorneys have stated that he will testify, although that can change.
Tuesday morning, jurors heard from an expert of police procedures who said officers have an obligation to seat-belt arrestees and get them quick medical attention. Dr. Michael Lyman, a professor of criminal justice at Columbia College in Missouri, testified for the prosecution that police officers who arrest a suspect have a “shared responsibility” to make sure that person is secured in the back of a police transport wagon. If the person complains of injuries, officers should immediately determine where the nearest hospital is and take the arrestee there.
Also on Tuesday, a crime scene technician, a crime lab serologist and a DNA expert each testified about their role in collecting and analyzing Freddie’s blood found in the back of the transport wagon.
Crime lab technician Thomas Wisner testified about his role in taking suspected blood samples and a seat belt from the police van that transported Freddie Gray following his arrest. Serologist Virginia Cates said stains on the van’s walls and seat belt tested positive for blood, which DNA analyst Thomas Herbert said matched that of Freddie.
We shall continue following the trial and post updates in the comment section below. The trial is not livestreamed, and reporters are not allowed to have electronic devices in the courtroom. Therefore, we are following the news mostly on Twitter and with news reports at the end of the court day.
Feel free to join-in.
Posted on 12/09/2015, in Cases, Cops Gone Wild, Freddy Gray and tagged Baltimore, defense, Freddie Gray, trial, William Porter. Bookmark the permalink. 41 Comments.
Reblogged this on The Militant Negro™.
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Thanks for the reblog, dear friend. How’s the weather on your side of the pond?
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Here’s a summary of trial thus far and review of the rules and practices of seat belts.
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Porter has taken the stand and is not undergoing croos-examination.
Porter said that he knew Gray “from the neighborhood” and had run-ins with him prior to the day in question.
“Sometimes he would actively resist [arrest], he would usually act out and yell and fake some type of injury,” Porter said.
Porter said that the reason he didn’t call for medical assistance was because “after talking to Mr. Gray, he was unable to give me any reason to.” Porter added that “medics usually take a while” to arrive.
“He never made a complaint of an injury,” Porter said.
“He did not appear to be in any pain he looked tired, lethargic,” he said.
When he saw that Gray was unconscious in the back of the police van when it made its final stop, Porter testified that he saw that Gray was “unconscious.”
“It was a very traumatic thing for me also,” Porter said.
The other detainee who was in the van with Gray is expected to take the stand Friday.
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This morning, the defense called Dr. Vincent DiMaio. I remember that name from the George Zimmerman trial.
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indeed that fella is a PAID LIAR………
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Bill,
He also thinks he is a medical professional.
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Reblogged this on League of Bloggers For a Better World.
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Glenn,
Thanks for the reblog, dear friend.
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This link has details of testimony today.
http://news10.com/2015/12/09/baltimore-officer-grilled-during-cross-examination/
Of interest is this entry:
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I decided to go back to watching the arrest videos. Here is one of them:
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(I can’t seem to find the other witness video of the arrest.)
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The testimony that Gray wasn’t using his legs because he didn’t want to cooperate agrees with the prosecution’s position. This was a defense witness? Geez.
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To me it looks like he can’t use his legs and is in pain.
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the video shows his legs splayed in a way that would be very difficult for him to place them in……one leg did look broken when they first lifted him not being cooperative would be his legs just dragging along behind him, NOT the way his legs were are distorted as if NOT being moved by his muscle commands but rather not able to move and going where whatever force applied put them……
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WBAL news recap video from today can be found at this link:
http://www.wbaltv.com/news/defense-expert-freddie-grays-death-was-an-accident/36874764
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Here are two reporters’ links that will help you keep up with the trial:
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TY for the links, not a doctor nor expert but it seems to me the injury did not have to happen all at once, Gray clearly had some type of injury before he was put in the van, it could have been a neck injury that was made much worse with the repeated handling of him with no support for his head……seems there could have been a small tear made much worse over time as opposed to one sudden severe injury…….
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I kind of think you are right, Bill.
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These two articles provide info on today’s court proceedings:
“In William Porter trial, experts disagree on when Freddie Gray injured”
http://www.kpax.com/story/30717419/in-william-porter-trial-experts-disagree-on-when-freddie-gray-injured
“Former Baltimore police commander: Porter acted reasonably in handling Freddie Gray”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/freddie-gray/bs-md-porter-trial-thursday-20151210-story.html
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12/10/2015 Afternoon update; Re; ABC News
The Charlottesville, Virginia, police chief and a 35-year veteran of law enforcement has testified that Officer William Porter did almost all he could do on the day Freddie Gray was arrested and injured in Baltimore.
Chief Timothy Longo was the defense’s fifth witness is the trial of Porter. He was asked by a defense attorney whether there was any more Porter could have done and he said no.
But on rapid-fire cross-examination by a prosecutor, Longo said he supposes the officer could have gotten on the radio and called for a medic.
Longo also said van driver Caesar Goodson was ultimately responsible to make sure Gray was belted in because Gray was in his custody.
Matthew Ammerman, a neurosurgeon from Washington, DC testified for the defense that Freddie Gray’s broken neck could would have immediately paralyzed Gray’s ability to breathe, speak and use his limbs. The defense is attempting to determine at what point Freddie was injured to relieve Porter from accountability at the times that he spoke with Freddie.
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Thanks for this update.
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The cop in OK accused of raping 13 women of color, the jury is in their 4th day of deliberations. This can’t be good.
http://www.koco.com/news/jury-entering-4th-day-of-deliberations-in-rape-trial-against-former-okc-cop/36891850
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Mindyme,
I read about the trial in passing. Holzclaw was charged with 36 felonies. His jury does not reflect that demographics of the community since the jury is all White. It might take the jury 36 days to decide on each count. I plan on blogging about it when a verdict has been reached.
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“Neurosurgeon testifies for cop at Freddie Gray trial”
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/freddie-gray-trial-neurosurgeon-baltimore-police-officer-william-porter/
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this stuff of having “experts” give the opinion they are PAID to come up with is a real problem in our judicial system…….has the defense ever had a PAID witness conclude their client is guilty? of course not, the “expert” knows the defense is paying them and they will ALWAYS have findings that support the defense.
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A person handcuffed and legs shackled cannot disarm an officer in the van.
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😦 omg. Freddie couldn’t talk to tell Porter what he needed help with.
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It’s horrible, isn’t it? Remember the man who police ordered to get out of his car, and they tazed him and then discovered that he could not obey them because he was having a stroke? The assumptions can cost human lives.
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“Defense Could Wrap Up Case Today At Porter Trial”
http://www.wbal.com/article/129479/2/defense-could-wrap-up-case-today-at-porter-trial
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the system amazes me, the other passenger in the van clearly has said he NEVER told police Freddie was hurting himself, but the official story is he is recanting “what he told police”…the point is the police tell a huge LIE, the person says i never said that but the story becomes he is changing his story now………
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Happening now:
“Live stream: Daniel Holtzclaw victims, attorneys speak to media at Oklahoma County Courthouse”
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/state/live-stream-daniel-holtzclaw-victims-attorneys-speak-to-media-at/article_76a20f01-959c-5f66-b43d-74623d70c5d1.html
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near the end the point was made how could this go on so long? his superiors KNEW something was up and did nothing.
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“Defense rests in William Porter trial Friday afternoon, jury sent home”
http://www.mynews4.com/news/story/Defense-rests-in-William-Porter-trial-Friday/Fr2wOM7GlEGjcMTf3TkJTg.cspx
Excerpt from article linked below:
http://www.wbaltv.com/news/porters-mother-takes-stand-in-officers-trial/36913202
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the defense didnt call Allen to testify because they knew what he would say, that the police LIED from day one…….they lied on their official reports about the number of stops that is 100% fact, and should tell the jury the officers cant be trusted…….
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Thanks for the update. I read where the attorneys were haggling over jury instructions. Closing arguments are scheduled for Monday morning. I would love seeing the closing arguments. At this point based on what has been released to the public about the trial, I think that Porter will be found guilty of reckless endangerment — not sure of the other charges.
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I feel that Porter’s not getting Freddie medical help and allowing Freddie’s medical condition to continue to be exacerbated by the continued van ride makes him guilty of manslaughter.
The van ride was torturous for Freddie with the condition he was in…equivalent to a torture chamber…equivalent to waterboarding someone too long and causing him to drown.
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“Closing arguments complete in Porter trial, jury deliberations next”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/freddie-gray/bs-md-porter-trial-closing-monday-20151214-story.html
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“Freddie Gray case: In closing argument, prosecutor calls police van his ‘casket on wheels”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/freddie-gray-case-closing-arguments-scheduled-today-in-trial-of-william-porter/2015/12/14/8f56fbed-061a-4081-a579-9cb633e37d4f_story.html
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