BALTIMORE (AP) - The defense rested their case on the seventh day in the trial against Officer Caesar Goodson. Closing arguments will take place Monday at 10 a.m.
Judge Barry Williams sorted through plenty of contradictory and confusing testimony in the case of a police officer charged with murder in the death of a black prisoner whose neck was broken in a transport van.
Defense rests. Closing arguments will happen Monday at 10 AM. #GoodsonTrial @ABC2NEWS
— Brendan McNamara (@BrendanABC2) June 17, 2016
In Friday’s proceedings, Det. Patty Bauer, a 23-year veteran of the Baltimore City Police who taught officers an in-service class on vehicle safety, took the stand. Bauer testified that her class taught the importance of seatbelt safety, but only for operators, not for prisoners.
A sign-in from sheet from September 2013 showed Goodson missed a class and wouldn’t have been taught to seatbelt prisoners then. In cross examination, Bauer said she “did not recall” teaching that day, and the state motioned to strike her testimony.
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Judge Barry Williams agreed, telling defense lawyers that “it’s not hard to figure out who taught the class.” The burden is on the defense to figure out those details.
Officer Edward Nero, who was acquitted on assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office charges in Gray's arrest last month, testified for the defense Friday. Nero said Freddie Gray was violently shaking in the police wagon at the second stop on the day of his arrest. According to Nero, Gray wasn’t being cooperative, and went limp as officers tried to get him into the van.
Nero said Goodson was there at the time. He described the arrest scene as “hostile.”
