City on Fire - The Mistrial

Well, in day number three of jury deliberations in the trial of Officer William Porter, the "decision" finally came in the form of a mistrial. As nightfall approaches, the news of the hung jury is still making it's way around the city. And the crowds are starting to grow.....

Earlier today, the jurors asked the judge for the witness transcripts to help them come to a decision. However, the judge denied their request because the transcripts were never entered into evidence. I don't quite understand this....

So, now that a mistrial has been declared, what's next? This will result in one of two things. Number one, a new trial will be scheduled at a later date with a new jury. Or number two, the prosecution could decide to not pursue the case any further, thus dropping the charges against Porter. (Don't hold your breath for number two.)

So, before anyone heads out to loot a 7-11, please understand that this does not mean that Officer Porter is off the hook. In all likelihood, a new trial will be scheduled sometime next year. Not an ideal outcome for the anti-cop protesters, but this is how the judicial system works. That's what you asked for back in April, right?

Another thing to consider is that Officer Porter was supposed to be a material witness in the upcoming trial of Officer Caesar Goodson, the van driver. What effect will Porter's mistrial have on Goodson's upcoming trial next month? It would be kind of crazy for Porter to take the stand and risk self-incrimination. Keep in mind that Officer Goodson is facing the most serious charge (depraved heart murder) in the death of Freddie Gray. If Porter decides to not testify, it will probably benefit Goodson.

With the looming potential for "unrest" tonight, community leaders and members of the clergy have urged for calm in the aftermath of the decision. "Giving peace a chance" sure sounds good. But in reality, Baltimore is still smoldering on the embers left behind by last April's riots. Fortunately, someone had the good sense to put extra reinforcements in place. Yesterday, there was a gathering of police officers from surrounding counties at Druid Hill Park. The park is near Mondawmin Mall, which is where city cops were forced to take a barrage of bricks and other projectiles from a bunch of "disenfranchised youth" back in April. Don't expect the cops to put up with that kind of bullshit this time.

Amazingly, there were some rumblings about having too many cops out there. I heard a few people say that it made them feel "unsafe" and like "something was about to happen". I have a hard time comprehending this delusional mindset. Let me break it down in a language that they can hopefully understand.....There is a good chance that something will happen and you will be unsafe. But it's not the police officers that you'll need to be worried about. Instead, it will be the lawless thugs that you continue to protect. So, the next time time that you're in a bad spot and need help, why don't you try to calling a thug and letting us all know how that works out for you? If you think that the cops are the biggest threat to public safety in Baltimore City, you're a freggin' idiot.

With that being said, let's hope that, somehow, order can be maintained throughout the next few days in and around Baltimore. It's fairly calm right now but it only takes a few knuckleheads to jump start things. The mayor has said that "we are prepared to respond". I just hope that the response doesn't include any "room to destroy" this time......

To be continued........


kw