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After ruling last month that the six Baltimore officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray should be tried separately, a judge is slated to decide Tuesday which cop will go to trial first, according to the Washington Post.

Baltimore Judge Barry G. Williams will meet with lawyers Tuesday afternoon to schedule the trials for the six officers charged “in the arrest and transport of Freddie Gray,” writes the Post.

From the Post:

While scheduling hearings are typically routine matters, Tuesday’s hearing in the high-profile case is significant for many reasons. There is the logistics of getting six fair and speedy trials on the calendar while giving attorneys time to slog through thousands of pieces of discovery material. The trial schedule will be important for city police, who have been preparing for the threat of more civil unrest if the officers are acquitted. And trial strategy will come into play as attorneys determine which officer should head to court first.

“If I’m a state’s attorney, I’m going to try my strongest case first,” said Jason Ott, a criminal defense attorney in Baltimore who is not involved with the case. “I’d do that to gain momentum, to keep the city peaceful and, most importantly, to set the tone.”

The officers were charged in Gray’s death on April 19. Gray, 25, suffered a severe neck injury while riding unrestrained in the back of a police van, prosecutors say. His death sparked days of unrest over police violence in Black communities, leading the mayor to initiate a citywide curfew and the governor to call in the National Guard.

Here are the charges each officer will face, according to CNN:

  • Officer Caesar R Goodson is charged with one count of second-degree depraved-heart murder, involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, manslaughter by vehicle (gross negligence), manslaughter by vehicle (criminal negligence), misconduct in office and reckless endangerment.
  •  Officer Garrett E. Miller is charged with one count of second-degree assault, two counts of misconduct in office and one count of reckless endangerment.
  •  Officer Edward M. Nero is charged with one count of second-degree assault, two counts of misconduct in office and one count of reckless endangerment.
  •  Officer William G. Porter is charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment.
  •  Lt. Brian W. Rice is charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter, one count of second-degree assault, two counts of misconduct in office and one count of reckless endangerment.
  •  Sgt. Alicia D. White is charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment.

SOURCE: Washington Post, CNN | PHOTO CREDIT: Baltimore City Police Department Handout

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Baltimore Judge To Decide Which Cop Will Be Tried First In Freddie Gray Death, Arrest  was originally published on newsone.com