Baltimore prosecutor Marilyn Mosby has dropped all charges against the remaining police officers (video below). All charges were dropped against all the officers who faced trial in connection with the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray April 2015.
The decision was announced during pretrial motions for Officer Garrett Miller, who was the next to face charges of second-degree assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment.
Four Baltimore officers previously stood trial. Judge Barry Williams acquitted three: Edward Nero, Officer Caesar Goodson Jr. and Lt. Brian Rice.
William Porter’s trial ended in a hung jury in December, and was scheduled for a retrial in September. Garrett Miller was beginning today, and Alicia White had a court date in October. The charges against these officers has been withdrawn.
However, stunningly, in announcing her decision Marilyn Mosby actually blamed the black judge, Barry Williams, for her decision. Excerpt from the Baltimore Sun (emphasis mine):
BALTIMORE […] given Williams’ acquittal of Nero, Goodson and Rice and the likelihood that the remaining officers would also choose bench trials before him, Mosby said she had to acknowledge the “dismal likelihood” that her office would be able to secure a conviction.
“After much thought and prayer it has become clear that without being able to work with an independent investigatory agency from the very start, without having a say in the election of whether cases proceed in front of a judge or jury, without communal oversight of police in this community, without substantive reforms to the current criminal justice system, we could try this case 100 times and cases just like it and we would still end up with the same result.”
~Marilyn Mosby
Holy SNAP !!
Do you see what Mosby is dangerously doing here?
Mosby’s shifting the blame from herself, via bringing charges without sufficient evidence, and instead blaming Judge Barry Williams for not convicting despite the lack of evidence. This is a jaw-dropping display of arrogance and a lack of legal ethics.
Here’s Marilyn Mosby’s presser:
