Judge Barry Williams has denied the first two motions by defense counsel in the Freddie Gray case, one to dismiss the case and to recuse Marilyn Mosby from the case.

In a victory for State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby, Judge Barry Williams on Wednesday morning denied motions to dismiss charges against six Baltimore police officers charged in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray and to recuse Mosby’s office from the case.

The hearing, which began at 9:30 a.m., is the first time prosecutors and defense attorneys are arguing verbally in a case that has played out for months through a flurry of written motions.
The arguments largely centered around the actions of Mosby and others in her office. The dismissal motion focused on statements Mosby made while announcing the charges against the officers on May 1 at the Baltimore War Memorial. The arguments on the recusal motion focused on the role Mosby and prosecutors played in her office’s independent investigation of Gray’s death.

Chief Deputy State’s Attorney Michael Schatzow argued against the dismissal and recusal motions on behalf of the prosecution as Mosby sat behind. Andrew Graham, a defense attorney for Officer Caesar R. Goodson Jr., argued for the dismissal of charges. Catherine Flynn, a defense attorney for Officer Garrett E. Miller, argued for the recusal of Mosby.

One motion remains to be heard this afternoon - whether the defendants should be tried together or in individual trials. This is in my opinion the most likely of the three defense motions to be granted, so stay tuned.