Author: Ralph Ellis

(CNN) — Six Baltimore police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray want their trials moved out of the city.

Lawyers for the officers filed a motion for a change of venue on Wednesday. They say their clients cannot receive a fair trial in Baltimore because of extensive pretrial publicity, civil unrest and public officials’ prejudicial comments.

Any effort “to seat six fair and impartial juries for these Baltimore City Police Officers would be futile given the fact that the events surrounding this case have impacted every citizen of Baltimore,” the motion says.

Gray was arrested April 12 and accused of possessing an illegal knife. He suffered a fatal spinal injury while being transported in a police van to a booking center, city authorities have said. He died a week later.

Violent street protests broke out hours after his funeral and lasted several days. Media coverage was intense and widespread, the motion says.

In the change-of-venue motion, the officers’ lawyers say State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby made “some of the most egregiously prejudicial public statements” about the officers.

For instance, the lawyers say she “aligned herself with the populist slogans of protesters and demonstrators” during a May 1 press conference by saying, “To the people of Baltimore and demonstrators across America, I heard your call for ‘no justice, no peace.’ “

Mosby’s fame has grown to the point that “she has been placed on a throne and continues to enjoy the spotlight. Mosby was literally under the spotlight during the Prince concert held for Freddie Gray at the Royal Farms Arena on May 10, 2015, when Prince invited her onto the stage,” the motion said.

The officers have already filed motions to have Mosby removed from the case. She says she will not voluntarily recuse herself.

The motion said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake prejudiced the case against the officers by criticizing the events leading to Gray’s arrest.

She also sent a tweet showing herself and members of Gray’s family with a message that said, “Honored and blessed to stand with the family of Freddie Gray to call for justice and for peace,” according to the motion.

The motion cites comments by Police Commissioner Anthony Batts and members of the Baltimore City Council.

The city has not responded to the defense motion yet.

The six officers face charges that, if they are convicted, could lead to decades in prison, based on their alleged actions that day. Among the charges: Illegal arrest, misconduct, assault and involuntary manslaughter.

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(CNN) — Things could be returning to normal in Baltimore: The city has lifted its curfew, the National Guard is preparing its exit and a mall that had been a flashpoint in the riots has been reopened.

The “goal,” said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake “has always been to not have the curfew in place a single day longer than was necessary.”

The mayor spoke following a tour of Mondawmin Mall, which reopened Sunday after recovering from rioting that police said was spawned by social media rumors of a “purge” following Freddie Gray’s death.

Because of the improving conditions in the city, she said, the National Guard will be wrapping up its operations, but don’t expect the troops to leave immediately.

“It’s not like you flip a switch,” she said. “They have to unwind their operations, and they’re going to do that over this next week.”

Asked if she thought it was premature to send the military home, she replied, “It will either be too long or too early. You’ll let me know afterward.”

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, speaking at a separate news conference Sunday, said it “will take a couple days, maybe about 72 hours” to complete the drawdown, at which point the state of emergency can be lifted.

“We’ve already started to withdraw. It will take a little while. We brought 4,000 people in,” he said.

The city can now take a breath and assess the events that rocked the city since Gray’s death.

Since April 23, police made 486 arrests at protests, rallies and other gatherings related to Gray’s death, police spokesman Capt. J. Eric Kowalczyk said Sunday.

Since last Saturday, 113 police officers have been injured. Forty-six people were arrested Saturday night, four of them juveniles, he said.

Two hundred Baltimore businesses — many of them minority-owned and many lacking insurance — were lost in the April 27 protests alone — the worst night of protests. It “will take a little while to get back to normal,” Hogan said, “but let’s get people back to normal, get people back in the city to visit devastated shops.”

The majority of stores inside Mondawmin reopened Sunday, Rawlings-Blake said, declaring it “a great day for this community.”

City prosecutor identifies six officers

Six police officers have been charged in the death of Gray last month, Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby said Friday.

The 25-year-old died after suffering “a severe and critical neck injury” while being transported “handcuffed, shackled by his feet and unrestrained” inside a police van, she said. It is against police policy to transport a prisoner without proper restraints such as a seat belt.

The police union called for an independent prosecutor, saying Mosby has conflicts of interests. They also criticized her for not waiting until police were done with their inquiry.

“We are disappointed in the apparent rush to judgment, given the fact that the investigation into this matter has not been concluded,” said Gene Ryan, president of the police union. “Our officers, like every other American, are entitled to due process.”

‘Grossly negligent’

Police officers arrested Gray on April 12. He slipped into a coma after suffering a series of injuries and died a week later.

Mosby said the incident began when two police officers on bike patrol “made eye contact” with Gray, who then ran.

When officers caught up to him, he surrendered and was placed on the ground, arms handcuffed behind his back. He said he couldn’t breathe and asked for an inhaler, but he did not get it, according to Mosby.

CNN’s Eliott C. McLaughlin contributed to this report.