Testimony continued today in Howard County Circuit Court in the $40 million civil lawsuit brought against six city police officers by the parents of Gerard Mungo Jr., who was 7 years old when he was arrested, handcuffed and fingerprinted for sitting/riding a dirtbike in 2007. Officers who have testified said that they were within the department's protocols to arrest a child, though one officer testified that he told internal investigators that his supervisor told him to arrest the boy if his mother called in a complaint about police seizing the dirt bike, which is illegal to operate in the city. Three other officers who later arrested Gerard's mother, Lakisa Dinkins, vehemently deny that they knew anything about the case or that it influenced their decision to arrest her for impeding a police investigation. Overall, the defense argues that regardless of the plaintiff's allegations, the officers did not break the rules.

Stricken from evidence was a conversation between one of the officers and a dispatcher, in which they appeared to be joking about arresting the boy. The Sun's media partner WJZ reported on the conversation in 2008, when the suit was filed.

One of the more intriguing aspects of the case was that attorneys for the plaintiff had planned to call former Police Commissioner Leonard Hamm as an expert witness, but that idea was shelved a few days into trial.  

We're told that testimony could wrap up as earlier as today, with closing arguments and then jury deliberations Thursday (The court is taking a break Wednesday). Check back then for updates.