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Jurors continue deliberations in Porter trial

Posted at 6:20 PM, Dec 15, 2015
and last updated 2015-12-15 18:20:51-05
The jury in the involuntary manslaughter trial of Officer William Porter said Tuesday afternoon it is deadlocked.

Their comments came on the jury's second day of deliberations. They received the case at 2:30 p.m. Monday.

Judge Barry Williams again gave the jury instructions, and sent them back to continue deliberations.

The jury adjourned Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and will return Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. It is unknown when they might come to a decision.

UPDATE: Jury deadlocked in William Porter's trial in Freddie Gray case

Defense attorneys for Porter made a motion for a mistrial Tuesday morning after Baltimore City Schools CEO Gregory Thornton sent home a letter about the high-profile trial.

Lawyers motioned for a change of venue and individual voir dire of jurors, and Williams denied those motions.

Williams also denied the jury's request for the court clerk's list of the evidence.

Porter is the first of six Baltimore Police officers to go on trial for the April death of Freddie Gray.

Jurors went home Monday after deliberating for three hours. They asked Williams if they could continue deliberations at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, an hour earlier than usual. Williams agreed.

During deliberations Monday, the jury asked the judge for transcripts of the videotaped interview Officer Porter gave to the police department's internal affairs investigators. During this interview, Porter stated that Gray asked for help at the fourth stop made by the police van.

The prosecution argues that Porter is guilty because he didn't call for a medic. Porter testified that Gray was not injured at that stop, and that he would have called for a medic if he had been.

The judge denied the jury's request of the interview transcript, saying the transcript is not evidence, just the tape. To hear Porter's statement again, jurors will have to watch the videotape.

Jurors also asked for definitions of the terms "evil motive," "bad faith," and "not honestly," which were used to describe Porter's "misconduct in office charge." 

 
 
Porter also faces involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment charges. 
 
Experts say there's no way to predict the decision the 12 jurors will make. 
 

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