A jury convicted former New York state trooper Christopher Baldner of manslaughter on Friday in a case stemming from a high-speed chase in December 2020 that killed 11-year-old Monica Goods, according to the Associated Press.
Prosecutors said Baldner rammed an SUV twice on the New York State Thruway, causing it to lose control and flip over. Monica Goods was in the SUV at the time of the crash, the report said.
The conviction came at Baldner’s second trial. In November, jurors acquitted him of murder and reckless endangerment charges but deadlocked on a second-degree manslaughter charge, leading Judge Bryan Rounds to declare a mistrial and order a second trial on the remaining manslaughter count.
Assistant State Attorney General Jennifer Gashi told jurors during the latest trial that Baldner chose to “recklessly use his patrol car as a weapon” during the chase north of New York City, the AP said.
Baldner’s attorneys disputed prosecutors’ account. They said the driver of the SUV, Monica Goods’ father, Tristin Goods, acted recklessly and caused Monica’s death. Baldner’s attorneys also argued that the accident happened after the SUV cut the trooper off while he pulled alongside during the pursuit.
The report said Baldner pulled Goods over for speeding near Kingston on the night of Dec. 22, 2020. It said Baldner and Goods argued and that Baldner pepper-sprayed the inside of the vehicle; Goods then drove off and Baldner pursued.
Defense attorneys said Goods collided with Baldner’s trooper car twice during the pursuit. The AP reported that a defense accident reconstruction expert testified that Goods lost control of the SUV when he overcorrected after “a very minor impact,” and the Daily Freeman was cited in the AP story for details of that testimony.
In prepared remarks after the verdict, New York Attorney General Letitia James said, “While nothing can bring Monica back, this verdict is some semblance of justice for her loved ones,” the AP said.
Charles W. Murphy, president of the Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers, said the union was disappointed by the verdict and argued that Baldner was “simply following his training when he responded to a rapidly evolving and highly dangerous situation,” according to a written statement reported by AP. Murphy also said the outcome “sends a troubling message to all law enforcement officers who must make split-second decisions to protect the public.”
Baldner, a retired trooper who remained free on bail, faces a maximum sentence of five to 15 years in prison when he is sentenced June 2, the report said. AP also said he retired in 2022 after almost 20 years with the state police.