A mere 12 days after Gray's death, with the ashes of looted and burned stores from days of rioting still warm, States Attorney Mosby, just four months into her office, stood on the courthouse steps and announced her office was prosecuting six officers involved in the arrest and transport of Gray. The charges ranged from second-degree depraved heart murder to misconduct in office.
That Mosby charged the officers so quickly was seen by many as her attempt to throw a bone to the angry protesters and rioters and quiet the city. Police use-of-force experts, experienced legal professionals, and even some seasoned journalists questioned whether Mosby had really put in the time and effort necessary to see if there was a case to be made against the officers before charging them.
Now, a little more than a year later, it's clear that she didn't. Three of the six officers have been tried. And Mosby is losing…Big. Her record is two losses and one mistrial. By far the most critical of these setbacks for the States Attorney was the trial of Officer Caesar Goodson, which ended with an angry judge delivering a not guilty verdict.
Goodson was the driver of the prisoner transport van in which Gray was apparently mortally injured. The prosecution's theory of the case was that Goodson had taken Gray for a "rough ride," intentionally driving in such a manner as to slam Gray around the back of the transport van. They also claimed that Goodson had ignored Gray's pleas for help after subjecting him to the injuries of said rough ride, which is where that whole "depraved heart" thing comes from.
Unfortunately for Mosby and her team, you can't prove a criminal case with just theories and supposition; you have to have evidence. And to say that the prosecution's evidence is flimsy is to give it way too much merit. Goodson's defense team wisely chose a bench trial rather than a jury trial, believing the judge would rule by law not emotion, and their hunch paid off.