[sunairco]

I figured it would be better to post this separate.
Have any of you thought about why this was turned over to a grand jury? Those of you in the states should know and understand that this is not the way a trial jury works to decide innocence or guilty.

This was clearly a pre-emptive attempt to skirt the normal discovery process. In most states, a grand jury doesn't have to have a complete consensus to a "no bill" or "true bill" for a case to be dropped or move on to a trial. The prosecuters/DA are obviously trying to stack the deck for the cop.

They've taken an unusual step that doesn't generally occur in a grand jury to document the testimony with transcription that can later be used if the jury does agree that this is a prosecutable offense, so if they do deliver a true bill for the trial to proceed, all testimony in a usually secretive grand jury will be admissible as evidence in a formal trial. Another unusual thing is the police officer himself testified.

Internal investigations of police in the states do something unheard of in normal situations. They provide the accused officer's council with all of the evidentiary and discovery ahead of time to allow them to craft a credible rebuttal should a trial occur.

I think it's telling that the national guard has been called up and the local Ferguson police force has been made to stand down in favor of the State Troopers. That disconnects the local police force.

Something is up and has been for all the pieces to be in place.

Either way. They don't return a true bill or if they do and it goes to a jury trial, the plaintiff family doesn't have much of a chance.

I'm not defending either side. Just pointing out how the process works. Going to a Grand Jury for an conventional use of force case was immediately suspicious.

The FBI chiming in about violence with stories of other police forces in other states being put on notification with media amplification is also suspicious. There is already an entire media subframe in place to provide a spin on the outcome.

Right or wrong, you rarely can win against the system. Just saying that the odds are always stacked in their favor.

[TheVrist]

Usually a grand jury is for determining an indictment on charges still pending. If the charges had already been placed upon the defendant, then the DA would have the authority too try, or dismiss the case.

[sunairco]

When have you ever heard a Grand Jury hear the statement of a Defendant? Officer Wilson testified his version of the event.

Does something not sound right?

[TheVrist]

Here in the U.S its isn't the defendant that has to prove his/her innocence, It is the states job to prove the defendants guilt. We can have a full on trial, and the defendant, nor the representative ever speak a single word.

The Grand jury procedures differ from state to state, however for most part, they are there to become the arresting entity when that of the local and state law enforcement agencies are not able to.

In some states, when all arresting agencies were unable to charge someone, book them in within 72hrs on said charges, however are a prime suspect in the case, they send the investigated file of the subject to the grand jury for review, the grand jury then issues an grand jury indictment, if they feel they have enough of a case to take to trial.

You see this happen often in cases that have very little to no physical evidence, but a ton of circumstantial. Local agencies are not capable of determining how a circumstantial case will turn out.

In the cop's case, his entire case is circumstantial.

[niknik]

I haven't heard anything about the local police being replaced by the National Guard.

[TheVrist]

Originally Posted by niknik ↗

I haven't heard anything about the local police being replaced by the National Guard.

Gov, issued a state of Emergency. Link in your other post.

[niknik]

Originally Posted by TheVrist ↗

Gov, issued a state of Emergency. Link in your other post.

I read that. Unless I missed it I thought it said the National Guard was there to support the local police. Not take their place.

[TheVrist]

Originally Posted by niknik ↗

I read that. Unless I missed it I thought it said the National Guard was there to support the local police. Not take their place.

I had originally put a link that gave detailed description of the Gov's orders, and protocol. It did state that the local agencies will be ordered to dismiss their roles.

Which is common in many Gov's emergency orders when there is potential for civil unrest, post LA riots.

[niknik]

So is dismiss their rolls mean they stay home? Or does it mean their regular rolls such as traffic beats and just ordinary policing rolls?

[TheVrist]

Originally Posted by niknik ↗

So is dismiss their rolls mean they stay home? Or does it mean their regular rolls such as traffic beats and just ordinary policing rolls?

Still normal routine, just not in direct influence to the protest.

Kind of be "out of sight, out of mind"