Ferguson Grand Jury No Bill Documents

[BleedBlueGold]

Something that has caught my attention and I haven't heard much discussion on it: The panel consisted of 9 whites and 3 blacks. Is it not correct that 9 people of the jury must agree to reach a verdict? That seems very odd to me. I'm not suggesting a conspiracy or anything, but when something is as racially emotional as this case, it seems they'd pick a more even jury. Idk. Just my opinion. For all we know the three African American jurors could've voted Wilson not-guilty. I'm just saying if you only need 9 votes, why pick 9 white people and give Ferguson (and any one else against Wilson) the fuel to continue being pissed and feeling mistreated?

 

[kmoose]

Something that has caught my attention and I haven't heard much discussion on it: The panel consisted of 9 whites and 3 blacks. Is it not correct that 9 people of the jury must agree to reach a verdict? That seems very odd to me. I'm not suggesting a conspiracy or anything, but when something is as racially emotional as this case, it seems they'd pick a more even jury. Idk. Just my opinion. For all we know the three African American jurors could've voted Wilson not-guilty. I'm just saying if you only need 9 votes, why pick 9 white people and give Ferguson (and any one else against Wilson) the fuel to continue being pissed and feeling mistreated?

I'm pretty sure that I remember hearing that this Grand Jury was not selected just for this case, but was selected before the incident even happened.

Maybe one of our resident attorneys can confirm or deny that is how it works?

 

[pkt77242]

I'm pretty sure that I remember hearing that this Grand Jury was not selected just for this case, but was selected before the incident even happened.

Maybe one of our resident attorneys can confirm or deny that is how it works?

kmoose you are correct.

Q: Was the grand jury appointed for this specific case?

A: No. It was appointed for a four-month term. The grand jury had been hearing routine cases around the time Brown was killed and then turned its attention to the shooting.

The jury's term was due to expire Sept. 10. That same day, county Judge Carolyn Whittington extended the term to Jan. 7 -- the longest extension allowable by state law. The investigation was always expected to go longer than the typical grand jury term.

What You Need To Know About The Ferguson Grand Jury

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Thanks.

 

[Rhode Irish]

I think the information about the prosecutor is relevant to a discussion about the grand jury proceedings. It certainly seems at least possible that the prosecutor was not invested in the case, which would certainly have an effect on the outcome. As has been noted, the prosecutor presented exculpatory evidence to the grand jury, which he is permitted to do but is (I think exceptionally) unusual. Generally, there is no incentive for the prosecutor to torpedo his own case. The American justice system is intended to be an adversarial system, so I think it is natural to question the prosecutor's conduct in the case - especially in light of other information that may tend to indicate that he was personally conflicted here.

I can understand the argument that he torpedoed his own case with the grand jury because he doesn't believe in it and he only presented it to the grand jury because of outside pressure. However, if he was conflicted in that way, ethically he should have recused himself to allow the case to get an honest hearing. Staying on a case he didn't believe in and then torpedoing the case with grand jury by presenting exculpatory evidence certainly raises questions that he acted as a one-man administrator of justice, stewarding a defendant safely through the process in order to effect the result that he personally sought, in contradiction to his duty in the legal process.

 

[gkIrish]

A one-chart summary of every Ferguson eyewitness's grand jury testimony - Vox

 

[Emcee77]

The Political Scene: Ferguson, Race, and the Criminal-Justice System - The New Yorker

It speaks volumes that Jeffrey Toobin, legal analyst for the New Yorker and CNN, a guy who's basically as liberal as they come, says that the grand jury's decision may have been correct.

This is just like Zimmerman/Martin for me. Tragic, troubling, but when I look at all the evidence I just don't see proof that a crime was committed.

 

[Bishop2b5]

Agree. But that's always the case with eye witnesses. I just thought this particular witness' testimony was actually closer to Wilson's than most.

Very true. In fact, if you have several eye witnesses and they all tell exactly the same story, details & all, THAT'S suspicious and an indication they're being dishonest or have been coached.