Police

The Trial of Edward Nero

The second trial has begun. If you want to know my thoughts, best to see what I’m saying on Twitter. Mostly I’m just retweeting interesting points from, you know, actual professional reporters (like Kevin Rector, Justin Fenton, Mike Hellgren, and Robert Lang) who are at the trial, doing their job. Overall, my opinion is well summarized by this quote in…

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“They pursue not the truth”

In case you missed it (I did), here’s some good deep legal analysisfrom Page Croyder regarding the trial of the six Baltimore cops: They pursue not the truth, but in the words of Mosby, “justice for Freddie Gray.” And they will trample over the law, the evidence, their ethical responsibilities and real justice to get there. Croyder doesn’t like Mosby,…

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Police

The Baltimore 6 Effect

To paraphrase Tip O’Neill, “All policing is local.” But that doesn’t mean that something in one town can’t have an effect on policing nationwide. And a trend can be large and worrisome — and national — without being universal. That’s why they call it a trend. I don’t know what’s going on everywhere (or even most-where), but I can tell…

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“Law enforcement is instilled”

Marilyn Mosby, Baltimore State’s Attorney, keep emphasizing that she comes from a family of cops: To the rank-and-file officers of the Baltimore City Police Department, please know that these accusations of these six officers are not an indictment on the entire force. I come from five generations of law enforcement. My father was an officer. My mother was an officer.…

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Police

Page Croyder is mad as hell

She’s the former prosecutor who has taken to writingabout her former office and its overreaching prosecution of the six Baltimore cops who in the neighborhood when Freddie Gray died in police custody. Here’s her latest: I said in my first blogon Freddie Gray, days after Mosby sensationally announced her charges, that she was setting up the false expectation that a…

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Next up…

Porter’s trial ended on Dec 16 with a hung jury. The next trial, Caesar Goodson the wagon driver, is scheduled for Jan. 6, 2016. Goodson is charged with second-degree depraved-heart murder, manslaughter, second-degree assault, two counts of vehicular manslaughter and misconduct in office. Three officers, Porter, Sgt. Alicia White and Lt. Brian Rice face involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault and misconduct…

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Hung Jury in Porter trial

Hung on all four counts. That is not what I expected. I expected acquittal on the major charges, and perhaps a hung jury on the minor charge of “misconduct.” But no conviction is still a big setback to the prosecution. What does this mean? Since I’m no legal expert, best to turn to those who understand these issues. Here’s Richard…

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Police

Maryland Pattern Jury Instructions

The jury, which is currently in deliberation, will be given this (or something very similar to this) to help them decide if Officer Porter is guilty of these charges: involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, misconduct, and second degree manslaughter. (thanks to a reader.]