Lt. Brian Rice is opting for a bench trial rather than a jury trial. 

He follows the lead of Officer Caesar Goodson and Edward Nero. 

Both were acquitted at their bench trials. 

Judge Barry Williams has also denied most of the defense motions in this case, including the main motion dismissing all charges because of defects in the prosecution, and a separate motion to dismiss the separate reckless endangerment charge. 

The defense had argued that the reckless endangerment law did not apply to police vehicles. 

The motions hearing continues right now.

7:30 a.m.

Pre-trial motions for Baltimore City Police Lt. Brian Rice will be heard this morning, with Rice's trial scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

Rice faces manslaughter, assault, reckless endangerment and two counts of misconduct in office in the death of Freddie Gray.

Rice's trial begins two weeks after Judge Barry Williams acquitted Officer Caesar Goodson on charges related to Gray's death, and about two months after Williams acquitted Officer Edward Nero.

Rice was the bike patrol officer who spotted Gray and two other officers in April of last year, and began chasing Gray, after Gray ran away.

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Rice was one of two officers who loaded Freddie Gray back into the van, after the van's second stop at Mount and Baker Streets.  In testimony in other trials, Rice was actually inside the police van, putting Gray on the van floor.

Rice is one of five officers suing Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby and Baltimore City Sheriff Major Sam Cogen for wrongful arrest and prosecution.

Last week, Rice, and the three other officers awaiting trial, filed a motion to dismiss all of the charges citing a "defect" in prosecution. 

In an affidavit unsealed in Rice's federal lawsuit, Cogen claims he was not part of the investigation that led to the charges filed against the officers. 

The Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office had claimed Cogen led independent investigation for their office, but Cogen in his affidavit said he only signed off on the investigation completed by the state’s attorney's office.  Cogen also admitted to signing the arrest warrants for the six officers charged.

The defense attorneys also cite a Baltimore Sun report last weekend, in which the newspaper obtained the notes of Baltimore City Police Detective Dawnyell Taylor, who said she was told by the state's attorney to present a script to grand jurors that contradicted the findings of the police department's investigation into Gray's death.

The defense attorneys argue the script was written by assistant state's attorney Janice Bledsoe.

For now, Rice's trial is a jury trial, but Alperstein believes it is likely Rice will ask for a bench trial during Tuesday's hearing. 

There are also a number of motions filed by the defense, including one to dismiss the reckless endangerment charge against Rice.

Attorney Warren Alperstein believes that motion may be approved by the judge, noting that at the Goodson trial, Judge Williams ruled that while Goodson may have failed to put Gray in a seat belt, in the police van, it was not clear if that failure caused Gray's fatal injuries. 

Judge Williams must also consider motions to prevent the issue of the legality of the knife seized on Freddie Gray from being introduced at this trial.  Prosecutors argue the knife was legal, and therefore Gray's arrest was illegal, and Rice's conduct is criminal.

During Officer Edward Nero's trial, Judge Williams did not rule on the legality of the arrest, only that Nero played no role in the arrest.

Rice's trial is expected to wrap up late next week or early the following week.

Meanwhile, supporters of Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby plan to hold a demonstration outside the courthouse today to show support for the prosecutor.

The rally organized by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference is in response to a formal complaint against Mosby filed last week with Maryland's Attorney Grievance Commission.  That complaint seeks to have Mosby disbarred.

A former California  prosecutor filed his own ethics complaint against Mosby.

Mosby's office last week released to WBAL-TV and other news outlets several threatening emails Mosby has received related to her prosecution.  A spokeswoman says those have led to increased security for Mosby and her family.  

Court begins at 9:30 this morning