Freddie Gray Mistrial Changes Everything In Officers’ Next Five Trials

The mistrial for the officer charged in the death of Freddie Gray ultimately makes officers less likely to testify against each other, makes juries less likely to convict the other five officers, and disrupts the prosecution’s entire strategy.

The judge declared a mistrial Wednesday in the trial for Baltimore Police Officer William Porter, 26, after the jury could not reach a unanimous decision. Now, the prosecution must decide whether to retry the case, but the mistrial puts the prosecution in a bind.

The prosecution planned to use Porter, after he was convicted, to testify against the other officers. As of now, all the officers are pleading the fifth amendment, but a convicted officer could be pressured to testify. Since Porter, who is black, is not convicted and still could be retried, he can’t legally be required to testify and will likely continue to plead the fifth.

John Banzhaf, professor of public interest law at George Washington University, told The Daily Caller News Foundation that the mistrial makes the prosecution look weak so officers will be less likely to betray their fellow officers and accept a plea deal. On the other hand, prosecutors may be more desperate and willing to offer a very appealing deal to an officer to get testimony.


http://dailycaller.com/2015/12/18/f...nges-everything-in-officers-next-five-trials/


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