Judge rules officers’ trials in Freddie Gray case will stay in Baltimore
A Baltimore judge on Thursday denied the defendants’ motion to move the Freddie Gray trials out of Baltimore.
“The citizens of Baltimore are not monolithic. They think for themselves,” Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Barry G. Williams said.
Williams heard arguments from the officers’ attorneys, who asserted that the officers couldn’t receive a fair trial in the city.
The hearing comes a day after Baltimore officials approved a $6.4 million deal to settle all civil claims tied to Gray’s death.
Gray suffered a fatal spinal injury while he was transported in a Baltimore police van in April. Six police officers face charges in the case.
His death sparked outrage and days of massive protests, including some that turned violent. Buildings went up in flames, and local businesses were devastated by vandalism and looting — despite the Gray family’s pleas for peace.
Defense: Every potential Baltimore juror affected by protests, curfew
Lawyers for the six police officers have asked Williams to move their trials to a different part of Maryland, arguing that everyone in the pool of potential Baltimore jurors was affected by the Gray case, in part because of the destructive protests and the daily curfew that followed.
Everyone in Baltimore was under the city-wide curfew and subject to arrest if they didn’t obey it, so every potential jury member was affected, the lawyers argued.
“During the course of the riots, law enforcement personnel and citizens were injured, millions of dollars of property was destroyed, the economy was severely damaged, city government was shut down and the daily functioning of medical facilities, education, the judiciary, public transportation, traffic and business were disrupted,” the defense lawyers wrote in an initial motion asking for the venue change.
“The number of Baltimore city residents that would be on any potential jury pool that were personally affected, or that had families or close friends affected would render the voir dire and jury selection process useless,” the defense attorneys wrote.
The defense attorneys also argued that high-profile city officials made what the defense asserts were prejudicial statements about the case, making it even harder for unbiased jurors to be found in the city.