State trooper Christopher Baldner is accused of purposely ramming his cruiser into the car 11-year-old Monica Goods was in on the New York State Thruway back in December 2020.
Prosecutors say Baldner pulled Goods' father over for speeding, but he took off after the roadside interview turned confrontational. That's when Baldner allegedly rammed that car at 130 mph.
Goods' mother, Michelle Surrency, said she does not understand the judge's decision.
"It makes no sense to me, because a person who does not do anything on purpose wouldn't lie and lie and lie. And from day one, that's all he did," Surrency said.
"The trial judge in this case throughout the count of the indictment of murder. The question is, did this officer act with a depraved indifference to human life? He is not. Trooper Bordner is not being held accountable for a crime that he committed," said lawyer Sanford Rubernstein.
Baldner still faces charges of manslaughter and reckless endangerment in the death of Monica Goods.