The jury in the William Porter trial has spoken: they simply couldn't agree on the guilt or innocence of the accused Baltimore police officer, one of six charged in the death of Freddie Gray from injuries suffered while in police custody last spring. Judge Barry Williams declared a mistrial Wednesday afternoon, and dismissed the jury. On Thursday, he met with lawyers for both sides, but no decision has yet been reached on whether or when a new trial for Officer Porter will be scheduled.
Joining us to help untangle the legal issues of this and the other five trials in the Freddie Gray case are two legal scholars from the University of Baltimore School of Law. Professor David Jaros has particular expertise in criminal law, criminal procedure and evidence. F. Michael Higginbotham is the Dean Joseph Curtis Professor of Law at UB. His latest book is called Ghosts of Jim Crow: Ending Racism in Post-Racial America.
