On May 23, Judge Barry G. Williams acquitted Officer Edward Nero of all charges related to the death of Freddie Gray, 25, due to injuries incurred while being transported, shackled and unsecured in a police van in April 2015. Nero had faced four charges from the State’s Attorney of Baltimore City, including assault. The other five officers involved are scheduled for trials ranging between June 6 and September 6, including the only officer charged with murder, Caesar R. Goodson Jr. The Baltimore Sun released the case’s entire transcript. Here is an excerpt of Judge Williams’ conclusion: “The court is not satisfied that the state has shown that the defendant had a duty to seat belt Mr. Gray, and if there was a duty, that defendant was aware of the duty. This court finds that the state has failed to meet its burden to show that the defendant corruptly failed to do an act required. The court also finds that, under the facts presented, accomplice liability does not apply for the charges of reckless endangerment and misconduct. Based on the evidence presented, this court finds that the state has not met its burden to prove beyond a reasonable doubt all required elements of the crimes charged. Therefore, the verdict for each count is not guilty.”
