DOWNLOAD VIDEO
The trial for one of the six Baltimore police officers implicated in the death of Freddie Gray while in their custody last April ended in a mistrial Wednesday after the jury failed to reach consensus. William Porter was the first officer to be tried for manslaughter and other charges related to Gray’s death. After three days of deliberation, the 12 members of the jury announced they could not come to a unanimous decision. “We are not at all upset with them. Neither should the public be upset. They did the best they could,” said Richard Shipley, Gray’s stepfather, after the announcement. The original incident, in which Gray fell into a coma while riding in the back of a police van after being picked up by officers, sparked several days of protests in Baltimore during which demonstrators called for justice and punishment for those responsible. Baltimore city officials and the Gray family’s lawyer called for calm Wednesday, hoping to avoid any property damage or violent confrontations between protesters and police. “If some choose to protest, they must peacefully demonstrate. That is their right,” said Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. “But I also want to be very, very clear about any potential disturbances in our city. We are prepared to respond.” Although some protesters were upset by the mistrial, the lawyer for Gray’s family remained confident that the trial for the other five officers would move forward. State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby may also decide to appeal the decision and re-try Porter. The exact reason for the mistrial remains unclear. A lack of obvious evidence and witnesses, besides the six officers, may be the reason the jury could not make a clear-cut decision.Vocab
mistrial
– a trial declared invalid through an error in the proceedings or because the jury is unable to decide a verdict
hung jury
— a jury that is unable to reach a verdict because its members cannot reach a unanimous agreement
deadlock
– as in a “deadlocked jury,” is a situation, typically one involving opposing parties, in which no progress can be made
Warm up questions
- Who was Freddie Gray?
- What do you know about the events surrounding the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore?
- Why might some juries not be able to decide on a final verdict in a case?
Critical thinking questions
- What are some reasons why there might be a hung jury in the Freddie Gray case?
- How might the Freddie Gray mistrial affect other prosecutions involved in the case?
- Why have cases involving alleged police brutality and the deaths of several unarmed African-Americans led to protests?
- What do you think the outcome of the prosecutions related to the Freddie Gray case will be? Explain.
