Above Photo: Officer Caesar Goodson (R) arrives at the courthouse in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., June 20, 2016.  REUTERS/Bryan Woolston     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Note The court’s decision in the Goodson trial is emblematic of the serious problems that exist in Baltimore and the nation. Abusive police practices have become so commonplace that they are impossible to convict even when they result in death.The culture of Baltimore police allows for what happened to Freddie Gray, i.e. harassing him, searching him and arresting him without cause, handcuffing in a dangerous and abusive way and taking him on a rough ride that took 45 minutes for a five minute ride. How can a judge hold police accountable for actions that occur everyday in Baltimore and have done so for years. Policing in Baltimore, which is typical of what is happening across the country, requires a major overhaul. There is a system wide problem in US policing as well as in the US court system. The only hope for justice at this point is if such an overhaul occurs to end racially unfair and violent practices. Justice for ‪#‎FreddieGray‬ and all victims of police abuse.  MF and KZ

Baltimore Police Officer Charged With Murder Of Freddie Gray Is Cleared

Caesar Goodson Jr. was one of six police officers facing charges in connection with the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray.

A judge has cleared Baltimore Police Officer Caesar Goodson Jr. of all charges in the 2015 death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray.

Goodson, 46, drove the van that transported Gray to central booking; Gray later died of injuries sustained while he was in police custody. Goodson was facing the most serious charges of all six officers charged in connection to Gray’s death, including depraved-heart murder, a second-degree charge that carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. Goodson was also indicted for second-degree assault, misconduct in office, reckless endangerment and three counts of manslaughter. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

One of the prosecution’s major arguments hinged on the failure to buckle Gray’s seatbelt — a mistake that, arguably, caused Gray to suffer a spinal cord injury similar to those seen in high-speed car crashes.

During opening statements in the trial, the prosecutor in the case, Chief Deputy State’s Attorney Michael Schatzow, maintained that Goodson was at fault for Gray’s injuries, The Baltimore Sun reported. Schatzow told the court that Gray was “injured because he got a ‘rough ride’” due to “the way the officer transported him.”

But Judge Barry Williams, who was presiding, said the state failed to prove Goodson had malicious intentions.

“In order for there to be a conviction, the state must show, not that the defendant failed to do an act required by the duties of his office, but that the defendant corruptly failed to do an act required by the duties of his office,” Williams said in his verdict.