Day 3 Of Jury Deliberations At Porter Trial

It is day three of jury deliberations in the trial of Officer William Porter.  

When the jury of seven women and five men come back here to Courthouse East this morning,  they will have deliberated 11 hours since Monday afternoon. 

The jury came back with a note around 3:30 Tuesday afternoon to say they were deadlocked. 

Judge Barry Williams  told the panel to head back to the jury room and keep deliberating. 

While prosecutor Michael Schatzow was in the courtroom for much of the day waiting for the verdict, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby didn’t arrive at the courthouse until after the jury was sent home for the night.

Regardless of the outcome of his trial, Officer William Porter is viewed as a material witness in the trials of Officer Caesar Goodson and Sgt. Alicia White. Goodson's trial is scheduled for January 6. White's trial is set for January 25.

Porter is charged with involuntary manslaughter, second degree assault, misconduct in office, and reckless endangerment.

He is one of six officers charged in the April 19 death of Freddie Gray, who died one week after suffering a broken neck and other injuries in a police van following his arrest in West Baltimore.

His death sparked protests, riots, looting and a week long state of emergency in Baltimore City. A handful of protesters were outside the courthouse through the day on Tuesday.  A sightly larger group demonstrated last night.

Security is tight around the courthouse.

Police officers from departments outside the city have staged at Druid Hill Park, and will respond in the event of any unrest after the verdict is announced.

Officials fear a repeat of the April riots if the jury acquits Porter or a mistrial is declared.  

Jury deliberations are scheduled to resume at 8:30 this morning.  If there is no verdict this morning, the jury will take a lunch break at 12:30, and resume deliberations at 1:30.

If there is no verdict this afternoon, the jury had been told to deliberate until 5:30 p.m., but they have the option of continuing deliberations later in the evening.

Source WBAL