A former New York state trooper was convicted of second-degree manslaughter Friday in Kingston for ramming an SUV during a high-speed chase that killed an 11-year-old girl. Christopher Baldner faced the charge at his second trial after a jury deadlocked on the same count in November, when they acquitted him of murder and reckless endangerment. Judge Bryan Rounds declared a mistrial and the case proceeded to a new jury last month.
Monica Goods died in the December 2020 crash after Baldner struck the SUV twice on the New York State Thruway, causing it to flip. Goods, his wife and two daughters were heading north from New York City to visit family after her father, Tristin Goods, was pulled over for speeding near Kingston on the night of December 22.
Baldner initiated a traffic stop and pepper-sprayed inside the vehicle during an argument with Goods. When Goods drove away, Baldner pursued. Assistant State Attorney General Jennifer Gashi told jurors that Baldner "recklessly used his patrol car as a weapon" during the chase.
The defense presented a different account. Anthony Ricco, Baldner's attorney, argued that Goods caused the crash by acting recklessly, and that an accident reconstruction expert testified Goods lost control after overcorrecting from a "very minor impact" with Baldner's patrol car. Ricco contended that Goods collided with the trooper car twice during the pursuit.
Baldner retired from the New York State Police in 2022 after nearly 20 years of service.
A former New York state trooper was convicted of second-degree manslaughter Friday in Kingston for ramming an SUV during a high-speed chase that killed an 11-year-old girl. Christopher Baldner faced the charge at his second trial after a jury deadlocked on the same count in November, when they acquitted him of murder and reckless endangerment. Judge Bryan Rounds declared a mistrial and the case proceeded to a new jury last month.
Monica Goods died in the December 2020 crash after Baldner struck the SUV twice on the New York State Thruway, causing it to flip. She was in the vehicle with her parents and sister, heading north from New York City to visit family after her father, Tristin Goods, was pulled over for speeding near Kingston on the night of December 22.
Baldner initiated a traffic stop and pepper-sprayed inside the vehicle during an argument with Goods. When Goods drove away, Baldner pursued. Assistant State Attorney General Jennifer Gashi told jurors that Baldner "recklessly use his patrol car as a weapon" during the chase.
The defense presented a different account. Anthony Ricco, Baldner's attorney, argued that Goods caused the crash by acting recklessly, and that an accident reconstruction expert testified Goods lost control after overcorrecting from a "very minor impact" with Baldner's patrol car. Ricco contended that Goods collided with the trooper car twice during the pursuit.
Baldner retired from the New York State Police in 2022 after nearly 20 years of service. The conviction marks the first time a state trooper has faced criminal liability in a high-profile chase death, establishing potential precedent for law enforcement accountability in similar incidents.
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