BALTIMORE PROSECUTOR DROPS CHARGES
AGAINST THREE REMAINING POLICE OFFICERS
Baltimore City Prosecutor Marilyn Mosby dropped charges against three police officers still awaiting trial in the 2015 death of Freddy Gray – ending the high profile case without a single conviction. Three other officers were acquitted after trial and a fourth ended in a hung jury.
Ms. Mosby admitted that she had little chance of winning any conviction. It would have been nice had Ms. Mosby, and other Baltimore City Prosecutors, done their job from the start which is to fairly evaluate evidence and not become community activists. Freddy Gray sustained a fatal spinal cord injury while being transported after an arrest for possessing an illegal weapon. Mr. Gray’s death lead to rioting and protests in Baltimore and fueled a debate about policing in minority communities.
The job of any prosecutor is to administer justice and fairly evaluate evidence. Unfortunately, in this case, and in many others across the country, prosecutors are swept up in misplaced community activism. Fundamentally, these prosecutors lack something that is generally in short supply – courage. Prosecutors need to be able to standup to the pressures of media and various special interest groups. And then take their time to fairly and justly evaluate the evidence.
