Tuesday, Dec. 1, Baltimore officer, William G. Porter, will be the first of the six officers to go on trial for the death, which was ruled a homicide, of 25-year-old Freddie Gray.
Among potential jurors, many were dismissed due to their knowledge of the case, or opinions on many topics related to the case. Judge Barry G. Williams of Baltimore City Circuit Court asked the diverse groups questions relating to race, police officer’s treatment of citizens in their community and nationally, the city-wide curfew set by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake back in April, the lawsuit settlement that Baltimore city agreed to pay Gray’s family, and more. For the latter, remaining potentials claimed to have no knowledge (which does not make any sense to me).
With this part of trial behind all involved, the trial for the first officer will begin.
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Porter, the officer, like the others, plead not guilty to manslaughter and a slew of other charges. He is “accused of ignoring Mr. Gray’s pleas for medical help, and of failing to buckle him properly into a police transport van, in violation of the department’s seatbelt regulations,” according to the NY Times. For most of the pre-trail proceedings, Porter was not in attendance, however, during the jury selection process he made his appearance.
Although legal experts say that “if Officer Porter is acquitted, it will be much harder for prosecutors to convict the other five,” it adds. Prosecutors want to use Porter as a “material witness” in the trials of the others by using a statement that he gave against him as the others.
The results of this try will have a close watch from Black Lives Matter activists, and many more, including the group of people who stood outside of the courthouse early Monday morning to show their support with the following chants:
“All night, all day, we’re going to fight for Freddie Gray!” and “No justice, no peace, no killer police!”
#IJS: Let’s make someone accountable for the actions of these officers; the officers. Black, white, or brown; it was not right.
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