Another false prosecution bites the dust in the Freddie Gray murder trial, as Ceasar Goodson, the police officer driving the van, is NOT GUILTY on all charges:
#BREAKING: Freddie Gray van driver Caesar Goodson not guilty on all charges https://t.co/tnk6LOTETm https://t.co/eHqol9Maxy
— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) June 23, 2016
NBC NEWS – The verdict came after seven days of heated courtroom battle, in one of the most closely examined of all the trials.
The crux of the state’s argument predominantly relied on two failures by Goodson—neither seat belting nor getting prompt medical attention for Gray.
“Officer Goodson never seat belted Mr. Gray and that is not what a reasonable officer would do,” said prosecutor Janice Bledsoe in closing arguments. “He had a duty to keep Mr. Gray safe, seat belting would have kept Mr. Gray safe.”
Bledsoe also said in her argument that “repeatedly failing to get medical care” goes to the “depraved heart” element of the murder charge.
But Judge Williams questioned both of these theories as well as the theory that Goodson gave a “rough ride,” which he did not find himself completely convinced of during the trial.
“The state brought it up,” he said. “The state told the world it was a rough ride, now show me evidence of that,” he skeptically asked prosecutors during his closing statement.
As of now, prosecutors are only at the halfway point of their plan. There are three more officers in queue awaiting trial, Lieutenant Brian Rice, Sergeant Alicia White, and Officer Garrett Miller.
This has been a fiasco from the beginning, as Marilyn Mosby tried to charge police with misconduct, even 2nd degree murder, all for political purposes.
I’m sure the lives of these police officers have been changed forever throughout this ridiculous political show, but at least the courts are vindicating them now.
In case you’ve forgotten, Edward Nero was the first Baltimore cop to be vindicated. He was also present in the courtroom when this not guilty verdict was given.