Ferguson headed for rough night; grand jury’s reasoning seems not to matter
The prosecutor in the Ferguson case had every reason to seek and win an indictment of Darren Wilson, the officer who shot Michael Brown. But it’s clear from prosecutor Robert McCulloch’s lengthy and exhaustive description Monday night of how the grand jury proceeded with its investigation — including parsing and scrutinizing the conflicting eyewitness accounts of what happened — he didn’t get that indictment he claims to have sought.
The question is whether McCulloch truly wanted an indictment, or whether he was going through the motions in order to apply a patina of justice to a foregone conclusion, that Wilson was never going to face trial for this killing.
The only way we’ll know whether McCulloch did his job correctly will be by reviewing the evidence and testimony that he says he will release publicly.
People outside the courthouse didn’t seem to care about the specifics or justification not to indict before resorting to some isolated acts of violence. So what’s the point? If, by peacefully gathering and awaiting the decision, you tacitly accept that the judicial process has to run its course, then why start shooting weapons and smashing cars when the decision doesn’t go your way?
So now the tear-gas cannisters are flying. There are reports of looting. Riot police are advancing on protesters. It’s going to be a rough night in Ferguson.