Judge Rules Porter Must Testify in Trial of Other Baltimore Officers Charged in Freddie Gray Case
Circuit Court Judge Barry Williams denied a motion by Officer William Porter's attorneys to quash a subpoena for him to appear at the trial of fellow Officer Caesar Goodson trial, the second of six Baltimore police officers to face trial in the death of Freddie Gray.
Circuit Court Judge Barry Williams denied a motion by Officer William Porter's attorneys to quash a subpoena for him to appear at the trial of fellow Officer Caesar Goodson trial, the second of six Baltimore police officers to face trial in the death of Freddie Gray.
Williams said Porter will be compelled to testify. Porter's attorney, Gary Proctor, filed an injunction Thursday with the Court of Special Appeals in Annapolis to block the order to compel his testimony in Goodson's trial.
Porter was called to the stand Wednesday prior to the ruling and invoked his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination. Williams warned prosecutors if Porter testifies in the Goodson trial, it could impact their ability to retry him after Porter's case ended in a mistrial in December.
Should Porter testify, Williams said, the state has been placed on notice that they have an interesting burden to show they did not use the testimony in any shape or form.
Williams said Porter's Fifth Amendment rights would not be violated in his retrial if granted immunity in Goodson's trial. Williams said this decision is uncharted territory as witnesses granted immunity usually have pleaded to lesser charges or had charges dropped, WBAL TV reports.
More Point of Law
Point of Law: The Limits of Electronic Searches
Can an individual be prosecuted for despicable criminal conduct based on evidence obtained in violation of the United States Constitution? Ultimately, the Ninth Circuit judges wrote, “In the circumstances of this case (United States v. Holcomb, 23-469 (9th Cir. 2025)), respect for the Constitution and the rule of law requires an answer of “no.”
Read More →
Trump Issues Order Cutting Federal Funding in Cashless Bail Jurisdictions
<strong>“</strong>Cashless bail policies allow dangerous individuals to immediately return to the streets and further endanger law-abiding, hard-working Americans because they know our laws will not be enforced,” the administration said.
Read More →Justice Department Sues Los Angeles Over Sanctuary Policies
The DOJ said in a press release that the “sanctuary city” policies of the City of Los Angeles are illegal under federal law.
Read More →
Understanding Officer-Created Jeopardy
Officers can be criminally prosecuted for using force when their actions led to escalation during contact with subjects.
Read More →
Point of Law: The Limitations of Search Warrants
In the Tenth Circuit case of Cuervo v. Sorenson, the Court ruled officers cannot deviate from the language of the warrant.
Read More →DOJ Dismisses Consent Decrees Affecting Louisville and Minneapolis Police
The Civil Rights Division will be taking all necessary steps to dismiss the Louisville and Minneapolis lawsuits with prejudice, to close the underlying investigations into the Louisville and Minneapolis police departments.
Read More →New Michigan Bill would Give Officers Civil Immunity in Self-Defense Cases
House Bill 4404 would create a presumption of civil immunity for individuals who are cleared criminally after using force in self-defense, shifting the burden of proof onto plaintiffs.
Read More →Seattle to Pay Police Captain $1 Million to Settle Lawsuit
Seattle police Capt. Eric Greening sued former Chief Adrian Diaz last year alleging that Diaz retaliated when Greening brought up concerns about racial and gender discrimination.
Read More →Washington Agencies Ordered to Not Delete Critical Facebook Contents
Jim Leighty, a local activist, filed two federal lawsuits last year claiming both agencies deleted or hid critical comments he had written below multiple posts, while keeping comments that were pro-police in nature.
Read More →Washington State Attorney General Sues Sheriff for Helping Immigration Enforcement
The lawsuit claims the Adams County Sheriff’s Office has illegally held people in custody based only on their immigration status, helped federal agents question people in custody, and given immigration officials confidential personal information.
Read More →