A judge ruled that six police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray will be tried in Baltimore, but this could be just the beginning of defense attorneys' efforts to move their trials out of town.
Despite the days of riots, protests and a multimillion-dollar settlement that followed Gray's death, a fair trial can be held in Baltimore for the officers, Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams ruled Thursday. But the judge left the door open for defense attorneys to revisit their change of venue bid if an impartial jury cannot be seated in the city.
Legal experts say it's likely the defense will continue to ask for the trials to be moved outside of the city.
Gray was a 25-year-old black man who died after being critically injured while in police custody in April. Gray was handcuffed, shackled at the legs and put in a van after he was arrested, and officers ignored his repeated pleas for medical attention, prosecutors have said. Gray died April 19, a week after his arrest.
His death prompted protests and rioting that shook the city and caused millions of dollars in damage, and has since come to symbolize the broken relationship between the police and the public in Baltimore.
Source WBAL
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