The first pre-trial hearing in the case against Officer Caesar Goodson takes place Wednesday. Officer Goodson is the second Baltimore City police officer to be tried for Freddie Gray's death.
Goodson drove the van that carried Freddie Gray after his arrest. He also faces the most serious charges off all six officers including second-degree depraved heart murder for allegedly ignoring Gray's requests for help from inside the police van. That charge carries a maximum of 30 years in prison.
Goodson faces a maximum of 68 years in prison overall.
Wednesday morning, lawyers from both sides will iron out final details with Judge Barry Williams before jury selection begins Monday. Goodson's defense team wants to use Freddie Gray's medical history as evidence, which could shed light on any previous back injuries that Gray suffered before the day of his arrest, and provide another reason for his death besides negligence.
State prosecutors need to figure out if they're going to use Officer William Porter as a witness. Porter is the officer whose trial ended in a mistrial last month. Experts believe the prosecution needs Porter because he's the only other person who heard Freddie Gray ask for a medic.
Porter's attorneys say he plans to fight efforts to make him testify against Goodson. The state will try Porter again on June 13 and his lawyers say he could incriminate himself by testifying.
