(Baltimore) Officer Facing Murder in Prisoner Death Opts for Bench Trial

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

The Baltimore police officer facing the most serious charge stemming from the death of a 25-year-old black man whose neck was broken in the back of a transport wagon waived his right to a jury trial on Monday, instead opting to place his fate in the hands of a judge.

Officer Caesar Goodson, 46, faces second-degree "depraved-heart" murder, manslaughter, assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment charges stemming from Freddie Gray's death on April 19, 2015. Gray died a week after he suffered a critical spinal injury in the back of Goodson's transport wagon.

Goodson opted to have his case heard by a judge rather than a jury at a motions hearing Monday before Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams.

Opening statements are scheduled to begin Thursday morning.

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Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/officer-facing-murder-prisoner-death-opts-bench-trial-39646051

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By JULIET LINDERMAN, ASSOCIATED PRESS BALTIMORE — Jun 6, 2016, 1:02 PM ET

[leftynyc]

1. Not surprised

It's already worked once for his pals.

[melm00se]

2. Smart move

a judge is less likely to get swayed by public opinion/news reports and rule based upon the evidence provided.

[lark]

3. Agree and disagree.

I agree it was a smart (i.e. self serving) move. I disagree in that a judge is more likely to be biased towards the police and against the guy arrested.

[melm00se]

5. responses in this thread

show exactly why he elected for a bench trial.

the comments all show a clear indicator that the poster feels that the officer in question is guilty.

No chance for the accused to raise a defense, question the witnesses and evidence.

just BANG he's guilty.

[Lurks Often]

6. That's sadly common here, people never seem to care

hearing all of the evidence or about the defendant getting a fair trial. It always seems to be all about the outrage and believing the initial reports, which are so often wrong.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

7. Here's a link to the thread about Edward Nero's acquittal.

Officer Acquitted in Freddie Grey Case

and here's what I said at the time:

There was a high-profile murder trial recently in my fair city.

It generated many newspaper articles, both before and after a suspect had been arrested. Following the arrest of the suspect, his picture appeared often, in print and on television. With that, the newspaper commenters were off to the races.

"No need for a trial; execute him now," was pretty much the call of the mob. Even highly educated people got in on the act.

So many commenters decided that the individual who had been arrested was guilty, based solely on their impressions made through his appearance, and without hearing a word of testimony or seeing a single piece of evidence, that you'd think you were at DU.

After reading those comments, I decided that if I were ever charged with a crime that could lead to a trial by jury in northern Virginia, I would opt for a non-jury trial instead. At least a judge would - I hope - be better learned in the ways of jurisprudence.

Comments to newspaper articles have put the lie to the dream of a trial by your peers. Sorry; Twelve Angry Men is a myth anymore.

[lark]

9. Seems you may have a bias for the cop?

I didn't say he was guilty, just that judges often side with the police. That's just a fact, not a pre-judgement.

[melm00se]

11. No

I have a bias towards innocent until proven guilty regardless the person.

[Feeling the Bern]

10. Isn't is the normal American idea that if the cops arrested you that you must be guilty?

After all, the cops NEVER arrest innocent people.

And yes, the motherfucker is guilty. Make an example out of this turd on how to treat your fellow humans with respect and dignity, even if they are under arrest. Police pigs need to be held to a much higher standard of conduct.

If you argue, I will not respond. Nothing you can say will make me change my mind. The police have declared war on Americans. Time for Americans to return the favor.

My wife said Chinese cops are useless, but American cops are dangerous, then asked me which I preferred. I said useless is always better than dangerous.

[melm00se]

13. You might want to hope if you get arrested

you don't get someone like you on the jury

By declaring him guilty, you have completely stripped him from his 5th and 6th amendment rights.

He doesn't get to:

-Confront his accusers
-Challenge the evidence
-Mount any sort of defense
-Have the evidence (both for the prosecution and the defense) evaluated impartially

But seeing you have some sort of omniscient view of all aspects of the alleged crime, I guess that gives you a pass.

[Feeling the Bern]

14. And they do everything in their power to destroy your rights to begin with

good for goose, good for gander.

And since you are a snarky person, I will no longer respond to you.

[joshcryer]

12. Judges are less likely to exonerate than juries, actually.

Appeals to emotion can sway a jury.

[Calista241]

17. But this judge thoroughly dressed down the prosecution arguments

In the 2nd trial. And the emotion is on the side of the state in this case.

The defense believes the law is on their side, and judging from the judges opinion in the 2nd trial, the prosecution is facing an uphill battle.

[Feeling the Bern]

4. Judges are part of the same corrupt criminal justice system. Watch this murderer walk because

he has a badge.

[Calista241]

8. He's going to walk because he didn't do anything to

intentionally cause the death of Freddie Gray.

The defense lawyer, at the end of the day, is going to get up there and say that if Freddie Gray hadn't have tried to stand up while handcuffed in the back of a moving vehicle, he'd be alive today.

Is that bullshit? Maybe. Was it an intentional "rough ride". Maybe.

[Angel Martin]

15. Goodson was the driver so we are

going to find out about the "nickel ride" or not in this trial.

Early on when the prosecutions were announced, police sources claimed that there was gps on the wagon and that would prove that there was no wild ride.

we will see.

[Calista241]

16. I doubt GPS is accurate enough to determine that.

Civilian GPS technology is supposedly accurate to within 25 meters. 25 meters is more than the width of a road.

We'll see anyway.

[Angel Martin]

18. what you are looking for is speed, rapid changes of direction

and acceleration etc

GPS in company vehicles has been used in trials to prove dangerous driving etc

[Calista241]

19. I stand corrected. Thank you for the insight. n/t

[alarimer]

20. There is no possible "innocent" explanation for why the guy's spine got shattered while in custody

None whatsoever. It was not an "accident". It was fucking police brutality, even if it wasn't "intentional". I'm sure all they wanted was to scare the piss out of him, but they killed him. Fucking asshole cops. They are all going to skate. Somebody needs to pay for this.