Posted on 05/23/2016 2:08:23 PM PDT by Kaslin
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Baltimore. Freddie Gray. Arresting officer Edward Nero found not guilty on all charges. Not guilty on every single charge. He rejected a jury trial and chose a bench trial. For those of you in Rio Linda, that means he let the judge decide. It was a wise, wise move. He obviously figured he couldn't get a fair and impartial jury in Baltimore, given the racial component here. Now, this case... Let's go back and listen to Marilyn Mosby. She's the state attorney here, and this is the day -- it's May 1st of 2015, a little over a year ago.
She's announcing all of these charges, and it took her 15 minutes to recite these charges if you recall. You may not recall. I do. I was here. Fifteen minutes to recite all the charges. She overcharged this. I actually think -- there's a part of me that thinks -- that Marilyn Mosby had to know she wasn't gonna get convictions on very many of these charges. I think the point of making the charges was to satisfy the mob at the time. Because, you know, many people think a charge is the equivalent of a guilty verdict.
The way the criminal justice system is reported on, all it takes is for somebody to say, "Such-and-such charged with first degree, third degree, fourth degree, fifth degree," and guilty is the assumption people think when they hear this, because they think why would law enforcement waste their time charging people they're not gonna convict. So she, I think, was trying to buy some time with this excessive charging, and buying herself some insurance in case verdicts came back not guilty.
But I don't think she's planning on not guilty on everything. That's why she overcharged. One reason you overcharge, is to get guilty on something even if it was just blowing your nose in a no-crossing zone, something like that, anything. But she didn't even get that. Let's go back and listen to Marilyn Mosby. And remember this: Her politics were being born on her sleeve, on her bra strap. You couldn't miss them.
MOSBY: To the people of Baltimore and the demonstrators across America, I heard your call for "no justice, no peace." Your peace is sincerely needed as I work to deliver justice on behalf of this young man. To those that are angry, hurt, or have their own experiences of injustice at the hands of police officers, I urge you to channel the energy peacefully as we prosecute this case. I've heard your calls for no justice, no peace. However, your peace is sincerely needed.
RUSH: It was never about the facts. It was always about the politics. It was always about cultural and other socioeconomic things. It was never about the facts, as evidenced by her comments. "I have heard your call for 'no justice, no peace." I'm standing here on the courthouse steps, and I'm an attorney, I'm a prosecutor, and I'm not going in there with facts; I'm going in there to satisfy you. "I have heard your call for 'no justice, no peace." That's what I'm taking in this building with me when I turn around and walk in it. "Yay! Yay!" And of course, "No justice, no peac," is not supposed to have any place in the proceedings. This is the next bite. Tell me if this doesn't sound a little bit like Obama in front of the plastic columns at Denver in his acceptance speech...
MOSBY: Last, but certainly not least, to the youth of this city. I will seek justice on your behalf. This is a moment. This is your moment. Let's ensure that we have peaceful and productive rallies that will develop structural and systemic changes for generations to come. You're at the forefront of this cause, and, as young people, our time is now.
CROWD: (cheering)
RUSH: "Our time is now." What's that got to do...?
CROWD: (cheering)
RUSH: Right on, right on. What's that got to do with anything? "Our time is now. I will seek justice on your behalf. This is a moment. This is your moment." Well, it turns out to have been a dud. I mean, this moment blew up in everybody's face, because Freddie Gray arresting officer Edward Nero has been found not guilty on all counts by the Baltimore City Circuit Court judge Barry Williams. Edward Nero faced charges of second degree assault, reckless endangerment, and two counts of misconduct in office.
Now, according to the reports at the time (which you may not remember, but I do), the prosecution began with the prosecution of officers Porter and Nero. Porter, that trial ended in a mistrial back in, I believe, December. It was a hung jury (not to be confused with a hanged jury). A hung jury and a mistrial back in December. So Officer Porter and Officer Nero, they went first because Mosby believed these were the two most likely cases in which she was going to get a conviction on at least one or some of the charges.
Now, Edward Nero waived his right to a trial by jury. His bench trial began May 12th. Final arguments were heard Thursday. The verdict came today. Not... I mean, all told, we're looking like 10 days here. It was smart to pass on a jury trial. The other officers might be well advised to do the same thing. In case you've forgotten, Freddie Gray was "a 25-year-old black man from the Sandtown area of Baltimore, died April 19th last year of spinal cord injury he sustained while in custody.
Now, according to the reports at the time (which you may not remember, but I do), the prosecution began with the prosecution of officers Porter and Nero. Porter, that trial ended in a mistrial back in, I believe, December. It was a hung jury (not to be confused with a hanged jury). A hung jury and a mistrial back in December. So Officer Porter and Officer Nero, they went first because Mosby believed these were the two most likely cases in which she was going to get a conviction on at least one or some of the charges.
Now, Edward Nero waived his right to a trial by jury. His bench trial began May 12th. Final arguments were heard Thursday. The verdict came today. Not... I mean, all told, we're looking like 10 days here. It was smart to pass on a jury trial. The other officers might be well advised to do the same thing. In case you've forgotten, Freddie Gray was "a 25-year-old black man from the Sandtown area of Baltimore, died April 19th last year of spinal cord injury he sustained while in custody.
"His death set off more than a week of protests followed by looting, rioting, and violence in his name." Of course, that prompted a citywide curfew. Edward Nero is one of six cops charged in relation to the death of Freddie Gray, the second to be tried. William Porter's trial, as I say, ended in a hung jury and a mistrial in December. There are four other officers: Garrett Miller, Lieutenant Brian Rice, Sergeant Alicia White, Officer Caesar Goodson Jr. have not yet been tried. Now, Goodson's trial, Caesar Goodson Jr., has been delayed once.
It is now set to start on June the 6th. He was the driver of the van that transported the young man, Freddie Gray, from the spot where he was arrested at the police station. "When the van arrived the Western District police station, Gray was critically injured and unresponsive," so they say something went on in there. Now, Goodson, the driver, "faces charges of second-degree depraved heart murder, manslaughter, second-degree assault, two counts of vehicular manslaughter and misconduct in office."
Gee, is that all? So the Drive-Bys... This a report from the CBS Eyewitness News affiliate in Baltimore, WJZ. They're already moving on to the next defendant. They couldn't even bother... In this story, they couldn't even bother to list the crimes that Officer Nero was found to be not guilty of. They couldn't even do it. So that's that. That's out of Baltimore, and everybody's waiting to see now if Marilyn Mosby will go back down to the steps and continue to ask for peace and address the people in the "no justice, no peace crowd."
See if she continues to say we need peace while she seeks convictions for these remaining officers to see what happens.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
What happens if Goodson get convicted but all the others are acquitted,. Will Baltimore riot because they convicted the black guy and let the white guy go.
No, he's up next and I think it starts soon.
Racist or not, I have a lot of trouble convicting him of murder for driving the van. What, hitting too many potholes?
And remember the other guy in the back of the van, separated by a partition, who thought Freddie Gray was slamming himself up against the wall on purpose. He later changed that, (but he has to live in the hood still). His first testimony was probably the truth.
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