A judge has cleared Baltimore Police Officer Caesar Goodson Jr. of all charges in the 2015 death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray.

Goodson, 46, drove the van that transported Gray to central booking; Gray later died of injuries sustained while he was in police custody. Goodson was facing the most serious charges of all six officers charged in connection to Gray's death, including depraved-heart murder, a second-degree charge that carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. Goodson was also indicted for second-degree assault, misconduct in office, reckless endangerment and three counts of manslaughter. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

One of the prosecution's major arguments hinged on the failure to buckle Grays seatbelt -- a mistake that, arguably, caused Gray to suffer a spinal cord injury similar to those seen in high-speed car crashes.

During opening statements in the trial, the prosecutor in the case, Chief Deputy State's Attorney Michael Schatzow, maintained that Goodson was at fault for Gray's injuries, The Baltimore Sun reported. Schatzow told the court that Gray was "injured because he got a 'rough ride'" due to "the way the officer transported him."

But Judge Barry Williams, who was presiding, said the state failed to prove Goodson had malicious intentions.

In order for there to be a conviction, the state must show, not that the defendant failed to do an act required by the duties of his office, but that the defendant corruptly failed to do an act required by the duties of his office, Williams said in his verdict .