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Court Rules Baltimore Cop Must Testify In Freddie Gray Case

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Casey Harper Contributor
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Maryland’s highest court ruled Tuesday that Baltimore cop William Porter must testify against the other cops charged in the death of Freddie Gray, despite the fact that he has pleaded the fifth and still has pending charges against him, USA Today reports.

The decision is a huge win for the prosecution, who hoped to use Porter’s testimony against the fellow officers until the mistrial in Porter’s case jeopardized that plan. With pending charges still against him, many legal experts thought Porter could still plead the fifth and refuse to testify.

But the prosecution offered Porter limited immunity, which means he has to testify but his testimony cannot be used against him in his own case. Legal experts have said this is not entirely true, since the prosecution’s access to the testimony will certainly help prepare them on how to build the case against Porter, even if they can’t specifically used it in his trial.

Maryland’s highest court had decided to hold off on the trial of Baltimore Officer Caesar R. Goodson’s trial until they made their decision, but now the case can proceed.

Police arrested Gray in April and transported him in the back of a police van. The details are unclear with conflicting accounts, but Gray appeared healthy when arrested but was injured within an hour after his encounter with police. His spinal cord was severely damaged and he died a week later from the injuries.

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