Advertisement

Judge Upholds Charges Against Baltimore Cops

Judge Upholds Charges Against Baltimore Cops

A judge has rejected a motion to dismiss charges against six Baltimore police officers accused over the death of Freddie Gray.

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Barry Williams also dismissed a motion calling for state's attorney Marilyn Mosby to recuse herself from the case.

Mr Gray died in April after suffering a spinal cord injury while in police custody. A medical examiner found the 25-year-old suffered a "high-energy injury".

A grand jury indicted six police officers on charges relating to his death - officers William Porter, Edward Nero, Garrett Miller and Caesar Goodson Jr, Sergeant Alicia White, and Lieutenant Brian Rice.

Judge Williams on Wednesday ordered six separate trials for the officers.

In announcing the charges in May, Ms Mosby said an independent investigation found a pattern of negligence by the officers after Mr Gray was placed into a police van.

Defence attorneys contend Ms Mosby violated her obligation to assure a fair trial when she announced the charges at a news conference while the city was besieged by rioting.

Judge Williams said although he was "troubled" by some of Ms Mosby's comments they did not warrant a dismissal of the charges.

Prosecutors accused defence attorneys of trying to divert attention from the officers' role in Mr Gray's death.

Charges against the officers range from second-degree murder to manslaughter, second-degree assault and misconduct.

Another pre-trial hearing is set for 10 September to determine whether the case should be moved from Baltimore due to the publicity surrounding the trial.

Dozens of protesters rallied outside the Baltimore courthouse during the hearing on Wednesday.

Mr Gray's death prompted a string of mostly peaceful protests, but the unrest turned to violence within hours of his funeral on 27 April.

Some 2,000 National Guard troops in addition to state police were called in to help restore calm after the protests spiralled into chaos.

More than 230 people were arrested as rioters looted stores, burned buildings and vehicles and hurled stones and bricks at police.

Baltimore's police commissioner was sacked in July amid a citywide spike in killings following the riots.

The city has seen 223 homicides this year alone, more than for all of 2014, according to a tally by the Baltimore Sun.