An appeals court has reinstated a murder charge against a former New York state trooper involved in the death of an 11-year-old girl during a high-speed chase. The mid-level state appeals court ruled 4-1, stating that trooper Christopher Baldner engaged in dangerous high-speed collisions during two chases, including one that resulted in the death of Monica Goods in December 2020 in New York’s Hudson Valley.
New York Attorney General Letitia James expressed her office’s commitment to seeking justice for the Goods family, emphasizing that Baldner, a former state trooper, allegedly used his vehicle as a deadly weapon contrary to his duty to serve and protect the people of New York.
Baldner’s union, the New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association, strongly opposed the court’s decision, raising concerns about its potential impact on law enforcement officers’ ability to carry out their duties effectively. They plan to appeal to the state’s highest court and are covering Baldner’s legal expenses.
Apart from the murder charge reinstatement, Baldner also faces manslaughter and other charges. The trial judge had previously dismissed the murder charge, citing insufficient evidence of acting with depraved indifference to human life, a necessary mental state for second-degree murder.
The appeals court highlighted witness testimonies that Baldner had stopped the family’s speeding SUV on the New York State Thruway and pepper-sprayed inside it after a confrontation with Monica’s father. Two subsequent collisions initiated by Baldner led to the SUV overturning and Monica’s death.
While four justices agreed there was enough evidence for the murder charge, a dissenting justice argued that Baldner’s actions, though reckless, were aimed at stopping the chase and protecting the public. Baldner, who retired in 2022, is currently free on $100,000 bail, and no trial date has been scheduled.