The integrity of the Grand Jury investigation into the shooting of #MichaelBrown is GONE. This Grand Jury needs to be dismissed. First we had the news of Darren Wilson testifying before the Grand Jury for 4 hours, then a Twitter user claiming a friend on Grand Jury says there is not enough evidence to indict, now we are hearing 7 or 8 black witnesses gave testimony “consistent” with Darren Wilson’s account but don’t want to be identified. The integrity of the Grand Jury proceedings are gone. The Grand Jury proceedings are suppose to be secret. This is a fraud and credibility has been destroyed. Dismiss this Grand Jury and appoint a special prosecutor to restore the integrity of these proceedings.
But who is leaking this information and why?
Leatherman Law Blog: We are witnessing a massive coordinated effort by unnamed officials to unlawfully influence public opinion and the members of a grand jury regarding the Michael Brown shooting by selectively leaking and spinning information in the police investigation file. The purpose of this massive propaganda effort is to discredit eyewitness accounts of the shooting, persuade the public that Officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown in self-defense and condition the public to accept a decision by the grand jury next month to not charge the officer with a crime.
This is criminal and someone needs to go to jail. The leaker needs to be identified and prosecuted. It’s a mockery of our Justice System.
The Department of Justice condemned the leaks as “irresponsibly and highly troubling” and says an effort to influence public opinion on Michael Brown’s death.
https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/526850157573177344
SHOCKING! Darren Wilson only SHOWS up to execute black boys.
https://twitter.com/lizzzbrown/status/526903568629239808
https://twitter.com/lizzzbrown/status/526902030213087232
https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/526867392593686528
Ferguson Lies
OMG! I cannot believe my eyes. Say it ain’t so?
https://twitter.com/sarahkendzior/status/526103334399119360
No surprises here either. Acturally these mofos do BELONG in cages, they’re the dangerous ones.
Patriots only see white, real Americans see what’s right. Patriots only see “thugs”, real Americans see badges on thugs. Patriots only see their rights to bear arms, real Americans see guns taking their children from their loving arms. Real Americans want to help their fellow man, patriots want to send the weary back to their land. Which one are you?
Amnesty International Releases New Ferguson Report Documenting Human Rights Abuses
http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/press-releases/amnesty-international-releases-new-ferguson-report-documenting-human-rights-abuses
Following the initial protests in Ferguson, Missouri sparked by the shooting death of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown, Amnesty International USA dispatched a human rights delegation which included observers to monitor the protests and police response. Today, the human rights organization has released a new report, On the Streets of America: Human Rights Abuses in Ferguson, documenting the human rights concerns witnessed first-hand by Amnesty International while in Ferguson from August 14-22, 2014. The report also outlines a series of recommendations that need to be implemented with regards to the use of force by law enforcement officers and the policing of protests.
This weekend, human rights activists are gathering in St. Louis for Amnesty International USA’s 2014 Midwest Regional Conference.
“What Amnesty International witnessed in Missouri on the ground this summer underscored that human rights abuses do not just happen across borders and oceans,” said Steven W. Hawkins, executive director of Amnesty International USA. “No matter where you live in the world, everyone is entitled to the same basic rights as a human being – and one of those rights is the freedom to peacefully protest. Standing on W. Florissant Avenue with my colleagues, I saw a police force, armed to the teeth, with military-grade weapons. I saw a crowd that included the elderly and young children fighting the effects of tear gas. There must be accountability and systemic change that follows this excessive force.”
What happened between Michael Brown and Officer Darren Wilson remains uncertain, due to conflicting reports. Michael Brown was unarmed and as such, it calls into question whether the use of lethal force was justified. The circumstances of the killing must be urgently clarified. Investigations must be concluded as soon as possible and must be transparent, as this case merits public scrutiny. Amnesty International’s report urges the Missouri Legislature to amend the Missouri statute that authorizes the use of lethal force, Mo. Rev. Stat. § 563.046, to ensure that the use of lethal force by law enforcement would be limited to those instances in which it is necessary to protect life.
The report also details the impact of city, county and state law enforcement and officials’ responses on the rights of individuals in Ferguson to participate in peaceful protest. Amnesty International documented a number of restrictions placed on protestors, including the imposition of curfews, designated protest areas and a “five-second” keep walking rule. Intimidation of protesters is also included in the report, which details the use of heavy-duty riot gear and military-grade weapons as well as questionable protest dispersal practices, including the use of tear gas, rubber bullets and long range acoustic devices.
“This is about accountability,” added Hawkins. “The events in Ferguson sparked a much-needed and long-overdue conversation on race and policing in America. That conversation cannot stop. In order to restore justice to Ferguson, and every community afflicted by police brutality, we must both document the injustices committed and fight to prevent them from happening again. There is a path forward, but it requires substantive actions on the local, state and federal levels.”
The mistreatment of journalists and observers is another area of focus highlighted in the report. Between August 13 and October 2, at least 19 journalists and members of the media were arrested by law enforcement while others were subjected to tear gas and the use of rubber bullets. Reporters for CNN, Al Jazeera America and other outlets report being harassed or physically threatened. Likewise, legal and human rights observers have also faced arrest for carrying out their roles.
Amnesty International makes several recommendations to local, state and federal authorities regarding both the use of lethal force and the policing of protests. The organization also renews its recommendation that the Department of Justice (DOJ) conduct an independent, transparent and impartial investigation into the death of Michael Brown; promptly implement a DOJ-led review of police tactics and practices nationwide, and release nationwide data on police shootings. Finally, the report calls for the United States Congress to pass the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act.
Dr Judy Melinek backtracking..
https://twitter.com/ArrestWilson/status/525504757956636673
What the prosecuting attorney has done is turn the grand jury into a trial jury! He is not seeking an indictment! He is trying to avoid one! That is why he is flooding them with “all” the evidence! That is why the “suspect” Dannen Wilson supposedly testified for four hours! Why do they say a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich? The GJ is a tool of the prosecutor and they are not supposed to “try” the case, only find probable cause! A real prosecutor, who wants an indictment puts on evidence that there is probable cause for a specific charge and that Is it! This prosecutor doesn’t believe a crime was committed and is using the GJ as a escape hatch! Imagine him doimg ths same thing for any other “criminal suspect”! The leaks are obviously orchestrated to preview the upcoming “no bill” result! It is a farce! It started with the police refusing to release the cop’s nane and his story and incident report! The “prosecutor” is actually acting more like a defense attorney and the grand jury is “trying” the case!
Hi Mysteryquest!
You are so right. I never thought about it this way. It never entered my mind. But you nailed it. They’re “trying” the case. OMG! Bob McCulloch is a beast! I can’t tell you the emotions I’m feeling. I’ll keep them to myself. God help us.
Yep, by having the GJ “try” the case and reject indictment he bypasses many of the procedures such as discovery, cross-examination and publicity that would happen in an actual trial. A “normal” criminal defendant would have been indicted already! Multiple witnesses said Mike Brown had his hands up, he was unarmed and 35 to 100 feet! That is probable cause! A trial court and jury should weigh credubility and be the finders of fact! Bob McCullough wants to avoid that but “blame” the GJ for not returning an indictment though he is discouraging from doing do! He thinks he is slick!
Thank you for this and opening my eyes to this f*ckery.
Blatant Liars and the Lies They Tell
http://www.balloon-juice.com/2014/10/23/blatant-liars-and-the-lies-they-tell/
Remember the Washington Post “whitewashing” of officer Darren Wilson yesterday by Kimberly Kindy and Sari Horwitz? Their twitter feeds have been oddly silent the past 24 hours, and it might be because of this:
But Melinek told MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell on Wednesday that her comments had been taken “out of context” and that she believed the findings could be explained by other scenarios as well.
“What happens sometimes is when you get interviewed and you have a long conversation with a journalist, they’re going to take things out of context,” she said. “I made it very clear that we only have partial information here. We don’t have the scene information. We don’t have the police investigation. We don’t have all the witness statements. And you can’t interpret autopsy findings in a vacuum.”
She and O’Donnell then walked through a variety of alternative situations in which the gunshot residue found on Brown’s hand — the key finding that suggested Brown had been reaching for Wilson’s gun — could have gotten there.
“I’m not saying that Brown going for the gun is the only explanation. I’m saying the officer said he was going for the gun and the right thumb wound supports that,” Melinek. “I have limited information. It could also be consistent with other scenarios. That’s the important thing. That’s why the witnesses need to speak to the grand jury and the grand jury needs to hear all the unbiased testimony and compare those statements to the physical evidence.”
If Bob McCulloch doesn’t want to prosecute Darren Wilson then RECUSE YOURSELF!
https://twitter.com/LauraKHettiger/status/525383806073987072
https://twitter.com/lizzzbrown/status/524992333910007808
https://twitter.com/lizzzbrown/status/525334163667169281
And of course the St. Louis Puss Dispatch and the New York Slimes are enabling this travesty with their unquestioning acceptance of talking points from Rethuglicans. Words cannot adequately describe not just the persecution of Mike Brown, but Trayvon Martin and Mr. Crawford and so many other African Americans. The double standard regarding the “Justice System’s” treatment of African Americans vs whites is unconscionable. And I’m a white person.
I couldn’t have said it any better. Thank you, Kathleen.
The Grand Jury investigation of the Michael Brown shooting has been hopelessly corrupted
http://frederickleatherman.com/2014/10/23/the-grand-jury-investigation-of-the-michael-brown-shooting-has-been-hopelessly-corrupted/
The Los Angeles Times is reporting this morning that the United States Department of Justice has condemned the selective leaking by “unnamed officials” of information provided to the grand jury investigating the Michael Brown shooting as an attempt to improperly influence public opinion. According to Andrew Hart at the Huffington Post, Attorney General Eric Holder is ‘exasperated’ by the selective leaking.
I am more than exasperated. I am disgusted because I have never seen anything this blatant.
Yesterday, I asked who is responsible for this over-the-top effort to influence public opinion.
Only one answer makes any sense.
I accuse Bob McCulloch, the St.Louis County Prosecuting Attorney, the office that he directs and supervises and for which he is accountable, and the Ferguson Police Department and Officer Darren Wilson of conspiring to selectively leak information that is exclusively within their possession, custody and control in order to influence public opinion in favor of Officer Darren Wilson, who shot and killed Michael Brown.
The grand jury should have indicted Wilson for second degree murder two months ago because no one can credibly deny that probable cause (i.e., reasonable grounds) existed to believe that Wilson murdered Michael Brown.
Wilson’s self-defense claim revealed for the first time by the leakers is a laughable self-serving tangle of scripted nonsense designed to fit the known facts.
We have a name for that. We call it subornation of perjury and it is a felony.
Today, we need to ask the next question.
Is there any reason to believe that the blatant and shocking effort to improperly influence public opinion in favor of Darren Wilson by selectively leaking information to the print media and spinning it in his favor is not also being used to influence the grand jury not to indict him for second degree murder?
Is the nation not being groomed and conditioned to passively accept a grand jury decision not to charge Wilson?
We are witnessing such massive corruption and abuse of the grand jury that its decision next month not to indict Wilson will have no legitimacy.
The people responsible for corrupting the grand jury need to be identified, prosecuted, sentenced to prison and disbarred.
https://twitter.com/ColorOfChange/status/525341660822372354
Did you all see Larry O interview that wretched woman, Judy Melinek last night?
http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/paper-obtains-official-michael-brown-autopsy-346549827897
Yes ma’am! It was so good. She’s done!
If Darren Wilson has nothing to hide, let him go to trial and allow the courts to make a decision. Why is he afraid? He’s afraid of the evidence against him and a jury will convict his killer cop ass.