BALTIMORE (AP) - A federal judge is hearing from the Baltimore mayor and others on a proposed consent decree with the U.S. Justice Department to reform the city's police department.
The hearing that begins Wednesday in Baltimore is meant to satisfy District Judge James Bredar that the sweeping reforms outlined last month are fair, adequate and reasonable. Once he accepts the terms and enters the decree, it becomes court-enforceable.
Bredar has asked Mayor Catherine Pugh to discuss the cost of the proposed agreement.
The judge also has asked about any conflicts between the proposed agreement and the police union contract, and about timelines and compliance measurements.
The proposed consent decree stems from an investigation sparked by the 2015 death of Freddie Gray, a young, black man who was injured in a police van.
