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4w ago

Ex-Trooper Sentenced After Manslaughter Conviction in Death of 11-Year-Old

It sharpens scrutiny of State Police pursuit policies by testing how New York prosecutes officer-caused deaths.

Former state Trooper Christopher Baldner at his first trial in Ulster County Court in November. He was convicted of manslaughter at his second criminal trial in March and was sentenced Tuesday to up to seven years in state prison.
FILE - Former New York state trooper Christopher Baldner, who is charged in the death of an 11-year-old girl, leaves the court room during his trial on Oct. 28, 2025 in Kingston, N.Y. (AP Photo/Michael Hill, File)

Overview

  • Ulster County Judge Bryan E. Rounds sentenced Christopher Baldner on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, to 2½ to 7 years in prison and ordered him taken into custody after his bond was rescinded.
  • The crash began on Dec. 22, 2020, when Baldner pulled over an SUV driven by Tristin Goods, used pepper spray during a dispute, pursued the vehicle on the New York State Thruway, and then struck the SUV twice, causing it to flip and eject 11-year-old Monica Goods.
  • Baldner was convicted of felony manslaughter at a retrial in March 2026 after a November jury had acquitted him of murder and reckless endangerment and deadlocked on manslaughter.
  • State records show the Division of Criminal Justice Services revoked Baldner’s police certification in August 2022 and he retired that year, and the Police Benevolent Association criticized the conviction as undermining split-second policing decisions.
  • Prosecutors relied on the attorney general’s Office of Special Investigation to bring the case, and the sentence has increased pressure on New York officials to review State Police pursuit tactics, discipline practices, and how deaths involving officers are investigated.