Prosecutors Start Case Against Rice By Establishing Police Standards

RadioOnFire.com - Court has wrapped up for the day at the manslaughter trial of Baltimore City Police Lt. Brian Rice, the highest ranking officer charged in the death of Freddie Gray.

The last witness of the day was Rick Opitz, the city purchasing agent who ordered van used to transfer Gray. It was the van with seat belts that prosecutors say Rice failed to use on Freddie Gray and that contributed to his injuries and death. 

Much of this testimony trying to prove the state’s case that Rice failed in his duty by not putting Gray in a seat belt. 

The third witness of the day was Baltimore police IT director Andrew Jaffee, who testified that Rice was sent the seatbelt policy, but he could not confirm if Rice read it.

There was some disagreement between Jaffee and prosecutors over whether a computer Rice would access was being repaired at the time the seat belt policy was released. Jaffee said he could not recall if that computer was under repair.

Earlier today, the state dropped one of the five charges against Rice, it was one of the two misconduct in office charges.

That one was related to allegations Rice made an illegal arrest. In any of the previous cases Judge Barry Williams did not rule on that issue. It's not known if prosecutors will bring up the arrest at all, with the charge related to its legality dropped.

Court will resume at 9:30 tomorrow.

3:35 p.m.

Prosecutors have presented two witnesses at the manslaughter trial of Lt. Brian Rice.

He is the highest ranking officer charged in the death of Freddie Gray.

After the lunch break, there was testimony from Baltimore Police Capt. Martin Bartness, chief of staff to Commissioner Kevin Davis. 

He headed the standards division of the police department and testified that it was Rice’s responsibility as a commander to distribute the policy requiring prisoners to be put in seat belts in vans, but under cross examination he has no confirmation that Rice did that or was even aware of the policy.

Earlier today, the first witness to testify was Dr. Carol Allan, the assistant medical examiner who conducted Freddie Gray's autopsy.

At the start of the day, prosecutors dropped one of the two misconduct charges against Rice. According to the indictment, it was the charge related to the initial arrest of Gray, which prosecutors argued was illegal.

Source WBAL