Prosecutors see him as a material witness. Defense attorneys for Baltimore Police Officer William G. Porter have submitted a motion arguing their client cannot be compelled to testify against fellow Officers Caesar R. Goodson, Jr. and Sgt. Alicia White in the Freddie Gray case. Their motion is scheduled to be heard in court on Wednesday.
Porter’s attorneys based their argument on their client’s state and federal constitutional rights against self-incrimination. Officer Porter was the first of the so-called Baltimore Six to be tried in the Freddie Gray case. His prosecution ended in a mistrial last month, and he is due to be re-tried in June.
“Calling Officer Porter at the Goodson and White trials will not only result in his rights being violated, but will necessitate a quagmire in which rights are trampled on all sides in the ensuing free-for-all,” his attorneys wrote in the motion, filed Monday.
“Jury selection in Goodson’s trial is scheduled for Monday. White’s trial is scheduled for Jan. 25. Prosecutors have said Porter is a ‘material witness’ against the two,” the Baltimore Sun reported.
Goodson drove the police van in which prosecutors say Gray suffered the injuries that ultimately led to his death a week later. Goodson faces second degree murder charges, while White, a supervisor the day of Gray’s arrest, faces involuntary manslaughter and other charges.