Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has declared today as "Freedom of the Press Day" in honor of the five Capital Gazette employees who were killed one year ago today when a gunman opened fire in their Annapolis newsroom.
Commemorations will be held throughout the day including the dedication of a memorial garden for Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith and Wendi Winters. There will also be a moment of silence this afternoon and an evening concert at the Maryland Hall for Creative Arts.
A judge has ruled the trial for the man charged in the Capital Gazette shooting can be split into two proceedings. The judge ruled earlier that one proceeding will determine if Jarrod Ramos is guilty or innocent, and the second will determine whether he should be held criminally responsible if there's a conviction. The judge made the ruling at the request of Ramos' defense attorneys. Ramos has pleaded not criminally responsible to all charges in the case, citing a mental disorder. He's accused of opening fire in the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, killing five employees last June.