Jury Selection Continues In Trial Of Baltimore Police Officer

Washington DC activists march in solidarity with the Baltimore protests of the cop killing
of African-American youth Freddie Gray. Photo: Stephen Melkisethian |FlickrCC.

In April, 25-year-old Freddie Gray died while in police custody. His death was caused by a spinal injury he received while being transported in a police van.

A resident of Baltimore, Maryland, Gray’s death came not long after police killings of black men in New York and Ferguson, Missouri, and was one of thee events, which helped kick off the Black Lives Matter movement. His death also triggered riots in Baltimore, a city where black residents have long reported police misconduct.

Six officers have been indicted, and will face trial for Gray’s death, with charges including misconduct in office, second-degree assault, and manslaughter. The first officer to be charged, Officer William Porter, will be charged with all three of those crimes, and his trial is expected to begin soon and not run long.

As of December 1^st though, the jury selection process was still underway, with a second group of 75 people being brought in to potentially sit as jurors for the trial. The high profile nature of the trial, however, means that finding jurors who do not have prejudice in the case will be very difficult.

A number of potential jurors have answered that they have had run-ins with the police and aren’t likely to look upon this trial with objectivity. This has been especially true of black jurors. Several have also admitted to having known Gray.

Porter’s lawyers have tried to get the trial moved out of Baltimore, in order to find a less biased jury. His lawyers have been unsuccessful in getting the trial moved, however, and will be forced to defend Porter in Baltimore. Porter himself is black, but that is unlikely to help him in a city with a poor police record.

Following Porter’s trial, the other officers, some who face less charges, will be tried as well.