Charged Baltimore Cops Want Testimony Taped

BALTIMORE - The six Baltimore police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray say the court should record or transcribe testimony given in the case against them to the grand jury.

Ceasar Goodson, Garret Miller, Edward Nero, William Porter, Brian Rice and Alica White filed the motion in circuit court Monday that seeks the appointment of a court stenographer "to take and transcribe the testimony as well as comments and instructions made by the presenting prosecuting attorney, to be given before the grand jury."

In the alternative, the officers want a tape recording of the testimony, as well as any comments and instructions that the prosecuting attorney gives the grand jury in the state's case against them.

Assault charges loom against all six officers connected to Gray's death. They are all out on bail. Four in the group face manslaughter charges. Goodson alone faces an additional charge of second-degree murder.

The death of Gray, 25, led to rioting in the streets of Baltimore which saw more than 20 police officers injured, 200 businesses looted and more than 200 arrests.

Four of the six defendants have preliminary hearings scheduled for May 27. Two of the officers have trial dates set for the same day, according to the motion.

Attorneys for the officers have already filed motions to dismiss and have called for the recusal of the Baltimore City State's Attorney Office, the motion says.

Just five days after the April 27 riots, Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby brought criminal charges against the officers.

The motion that these officers filed Monday says that "one of the concerns of the defendants is that Major Sam Cogen, or whoever conducted the investigation leading up to the filing of the charging document, has misidentified certain facts, as well as the applicable law that should be considered when determining the appropriateness of the criminal charges against the defendants."

"A transcript of the testimony taken before the grand jury, as well as the comments of the presenting prosecutor and the instruction in regard to the appropriate law, will be necessary for the defense to cross-examine those witnesses in a constitutionally effective manner, and to ensure that the defendants have been afforded due process of law," the motion states.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly described the party that filed the motion for a transcript or recording of the testimony to the grand jury. The defendants filed the motion. Courthouse News regrets the error.

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