First Freddie Gray Trial Coming to End.
PAUL: Well, Baltimore is ramping up security precautions as the first of six Freddy Gray manslaughter trials nears an end here. The police commissioner even canceled leave next week for all officers and scheduled them to work 12 hour shifts to ensure that men and women on duty ahead of jury's - the jury's ruling on the fate of officer William Porter. CNN's Jean Casarez has the latest for us.</s>JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The defense has rested and now on Monday jury instructions and closing arguments in the criminal trial of Baltimore police officer William Porter. Porter is one officer, one of six charged in the death of Freddy Gray. It all began on April 12th when Freddy Gray in West Baltimore was arrested and put into the police transport van. Defendant William Porter was an officer there that it was there that day and the heart and soul of the prosecutor's case are the six stops that that transport van made with Freddie Gray inside before it got to the police headquarters. Somewhere along the way, Freddie Gray suffered a catastrophic neck injury to his spinal cord. And it's the prosecution's theory that especially on stop number four when William Porter said to Freddy Gray, "What's up?", and Gray said either "Help or help me up," and then the defendant asked him "Do you need a medic?" And Freddy Gray said yes. William Porter didn't call for a medic and did not put a seatbelt on to restrain Freddie Gray. Prosecutors say that is criminal negligence right there, and a reasonable police officer in the same position would have called for a medic and would have put a seatbelt on Freddie Gray. The defense is saying that Officer Porter knew Freddie Gray, knew him from the street and saw him almost every day and that Freddie Gray when he was arrested never wanted to go to jail and would say anything he could to get out of it. Jean Casarez, CNN, Baltimore, Maryland.</s>BLACKWELL: We have with us CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson. Joey, good morning to you.</s>JOEY JACKSON, CNN ANALYST: Good morning, Victor.</s>BLACKWELL: So, let talk about this final day of the defense's case. They put Captain Renault of the Baltimore Police Department on the stand - and he actually helped to write the department's policy. He says that, at least told the jury that transporting officer is responsible for people taken into custody, and Officer Porter was not the transporting officer. Does that absolve him of any responsibility here?</s>JACKSON: Surprise, surprise, Victor. What happens commonly in cases is, defense attorneys in building their case often point fingers at others. And so, in this case you saw the defense point fingers at really two people. One of which you mentioned, was the driver. And of course, since the driver of the van is transporting the prisoner, it's his responsibility to do so, not mine. In addition to that, there was also pointing fingers at Sergeant White. He told a supervisor, I'm an officer. Once I do that it absolves me of responsibility. Unfortunately, though, it's not really that simple, because there is a collective responsibility shared by officers who are actually, you know, in charge of the custody and control of that particular inmate. So, it's a question of really what the jury buys in terms of facts of what Porter knew and when he knew it. Was Freddie Gray in dire medical condition, such that he needed to respond immediately, or as Porter and his team described it, it wasn't that serious and I did all I could do under those circumstances.</s>BLACKWELL: The defense also put on the stand Porter's mother, a woman who described Porter as a grandson - so there was two women up his character witnesses. In this type of trial, what's the value, what's the impact of that testimony?</s>JACKSON: Well, when you're talking about someone's reputation for peacefulness, someone's reputation for truthfulness and whether or not they are actually a good and quality person, then of course, character witnesses can be extremely important. Obviously, if it's the mother, you know, a mother, the problem is that there's an inherent bias, obviously, with the mother's testimony. I think what the prosecution was trying to do, Victor, is say to the other character witnesses, you know he's a good guy, you know him to be a good guy, he has a great reputation for peacefulness and truthfulness, all that you are right, but you never worked with him, did you? And so, what they were doing, of course, is saying, hey, at the end of the day you really don't know how he is as he walks that beat and what he did in this particular case.</s>BLACKWELL: Relatively, quick proceedings here. Just a few days from each side here. How long do you expect or is there any indication of how long these deliberations will take after the closing argument and instructions to the jury?</s>JACKSON: You know what, there's always a wild card. Because remember, in any case you have two professors in the courtroom, you have the prosecution saying, you know what, there are two issues here, and it's easy for you to decide. He should have gotten a medic and he should have known that Freddie Gray was in a terrible condition. He didn't do it. And he failed to seatbelt him. The defense, of course, had a lot to say about that he acted reasonably and he acted responsibly. And that's what a jury is going to have to conclude and who knows how long it will take them to make that final decision.</s>BLACKWELL: We know going into this Christmas break that vacation time has been suspended for Baltimore police officers, potentially for any reaction after this jury deliberates and comes back with a verdict. Joey Jackson, always good to have you.</s>JACKSON: A pleasure, Victor. Thank you.</s>PAUL: Coming up next hour -- look at this brawl breaking out. You're going to hear gunshot. One teen dies. Six others are injured and nobody was charged. Why a judge said go ahead and ....</s>BLACKWELL: Plus, they've been chummy for months but now Donald Trump is launching his first attack against Ted Cruz. He questions his appeal to evangelical voters. Here have to be a heated showdown for what Donald Trump classifies, rather, as a two-man race, at least in Iowa. Plus, one of the hottest ticket items for Christmas this year. This hover board, as it's called, but it's on the wheels. It doesn't really hover. Everybody come down. It's also on a no-fly list. We'll tell you why.