The problem of course is that this wasn't the actual trial. Such injuries do stir reasonable doubt in the minds of jurors.
The prosecuter is the sole attorney presenting, leading to the saying, "The DA can indict a ham sandwich."Thegrand jury's accusatory function is to determine whether or not there is probable cause to believe that one or more persons committed a certain offense within the venue of the district court.
No, it's "probable cause". But given all the evidence, including witnesses saying that Brown charged Wilson, I do not think even that threshold was met and thus the "no true bill" was entirely justified.
Luckily for her, it doesn't seem to be destroyed, just damaged and looted, as she is talking here about scrambling to fill her orders for Thanksgiving.
I do not think that was vague at all. He explained that he wasn't party to jury deliberations. So a question as to what convinced the jury is beyond his ability to know.
I think that it was pretty clear that McCulloch didn't think that an indictment was warranted. Prosecutors decline to prosecute cases all the time and there is no duty to go after every criminal complaint that comes their way. I am sure that if this wasn't a high profile case with international attention that it would not even have come to the grand jury.
We can't independently confirm or falsify how Wilson himself felt at the time. He would have also been the only one who saw Brown's face and whether it was full of rage ("Hulk smash!"). So whether he was truthful, hyperbolic or outright lying, we have no way of knowing.
According to McCulloch's summary there were. I haven't gone through the witness statements that have been released but I am sure people will.
It does, however, conclusively falsify those witnesses who claimed that Brown was shot in the back. Those were the witnesses that were interviewed by the media early on and helped shape the media narrative that led us to the present ugly situation with riots and looting and violence.
That is true. "Probable cause" is a safeguard against charging people with crimes willy-nilly based on mere suspicion.
High grand jury indictment rate is due in large part to prosecutors exercise discretion as to what cases to bring forward in the first place. Most weak cases get weeded out way before the formal "probable cause" (either grand jury or hearing before the judge) stage. That discretion was preempted in this case due to all the media attention.
Prosecutors are usually convinced of the case they bring forward for indictment. McCulloch obviously wasn't.
On the contrary, he presented all the evidence and let the jury come to a conclusion.
He was definitely being measured. What I didn't like what the vagueness about what initially happened and then the final confrontation. Testimony indicated Brown was full charge... or leaning over.
Yeah. Granted, he may have legitimately felt that way if a large guy is going after you. What I don't understand is why he chased after the guy he was scared of, instead of waiting for backup.
Discretion is a vital part of a prosecutor's job.
Fades in comparison to the mistakes Brown committed that helped precipitate Brown's death.
Wilson fired the bullet, so no. That is not true.
