Steve Burns
WMAL.com
BALTIMORE – (WMAL) Lt. Brian Rice heads to Courthouse East today, the fourth of six officers to be tried surrounding the death of Freddie Gray in April 2015. So far, two officers have been acquitted on all counts and one trial ended in a hung jury. Skepticism of the State’s case continues growing after each trial as the ripple effects on the city become more widespread.
“I hope that, if this is another ‘not guilty,’ which I suspect it will be, that (the State) take a good hard look at the evidence and the mistakes they’re making,” former city prosecutor Tyler Mann told WMAL. “They started with the facts that they thought were enough. It’s been apparent that it’s not enough, but yet they still push forward.”
The State isn’t only losing, but looking incompetent while they do it, Mann said. There have been multiple violations in court proceedings in the discovery phase, and revelations have surfaced of the strained relationship between police investigators and the prosecution as the prosecution tries to craft its narrative.
“Morale is way down. Police officers do not want to arrest people,” Mann said. “Having these cases is making us look bad in the national media. That can go towards morale in the whole city.”
Attention in the city has shifted away as the trials go on, Mann said. Fewer protestors show at the Courthouse than during Officer William Porter’s trial in December, and media coverage has dwindled. He said there may be a few loud voices if the remaining cases are dropped, but it would not be widespread outrage. And the sooner that’s done, the better for State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby’s career, Mann said.
“It’s politically damaging to her, putting her on a national stage in a bad light by keeping these going,” Mann said. “You’re just giving more fodder to the next person who wants to run for State’s Attorney.” Mosbly is up for re-election in 2018.
The homicide rate continues to climb to rates much higher than cities of a comparable size, and the homicide clearance rate is about 32%, much lower than the national average.
“The focus is on prosecuting these same six police officers when it doesn’t seem like it’s absolutely necessary.” Mann said, “It appears there are other things we should be focused on, like solving homicides.”
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