The Court of Appeals – Maryland’s highest court – put the trials of five police officers charged in Freddie Gray’s death on hold Thursday to review decisions of Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams.
The order comes a day before lawyers were to argue pre-trial motions in the case against Officer Edward Nero.
Williams had ordered Officer William Porter, the sixth officer in the case, to testify against Officer Caesar Goodson and Sgt. Alicia White. But the judge turned down prosecutors’ request that Porter also testify against Officers Edward Nero and Garrett Miller and Lt. Brian Rice.
Porter’s lawyers asked the Court of Special Appeals, Maryland’s second highest court, to review the order to testify in the Goodson and White trials. They said it would violate his right against self-incrimination. Porter’s trial ended in a hung jury in December. His retrial is scheduled for June.
Later, prosecutors asked the Court of Appeals to review all of Williams’ orders related to Porter’s testimony.
Gray died from a broken neck suffered in the back of a police van while being transported to the Western District police station last year.
Gray’s death prompted several days of protests that culminated in rioting after his funeral in April.