There’s a possibility the Ferguson trial could be reopened. Just this week, the NAACP’s legal advocacy group has submitted three letters outlining “grave concerns” in regards to the Michael Brown case. On November 24, the Ferguson grand jury announced that former police officer Darren Wilson would not be indicted for the August 9 shooting death of the unarmed 18-year-old man.
The highly publicized shooting sparked outrage across the country. As a result of the decision, numerous protests and riots have taken place due to the injustice some people feel was served. Now the NAACP is pushing for another trial with a new grand jury.
On Monday, January 5, the NAACP’s Legal Defense and Educational Fund submitted an open letter addressed to St. Louis County Circuit Judge Maura McShane. The legal group reportedly analyzed the grand jury transcript and cited a number of concerns about the widely scrutinized investigation of the teenager’s shooting. According to Think Progress , three of the main points presented were in regards to the questionable legal practices that reportedly contributed to the grand jury’s decision.
The organization called out Ferguson prosecutor Bob McCulloch and his legal team, namely Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kathy Alizadeh. The NAACP cited McCulloch’s recent admission about knowingly allowing “lying witnesses” to testify. The organization also cited Alizadeh’s improper use of a law that was deemed unconstitutional back in 1985.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr , MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell blasted Alizadeh for presenting a 1979 Missouri statute which refers to the use of excessive force by a police officer. Under that statute, officers were “justified in the use of such physical force as he or she reasonably believes is immediately necessary to effect the arrest or prevent the escape from custody.” However, the Supreme Court rendered the statute unconstitutional nearly 30 years ago. Now, the NAACP is arguing that same point.
Here’s an excerpt from the grand jury transcript.
The organization also cited McCulloch’s reference to the case being “special.” According to the grand jury transcript, “the questioning of witnesses often appeared to advocate for defendant Wilson’s version of the shooting,” as opposed to giving their original accounts of what actually occurred. After reviewing the transcript and other internal aspects of the case, the NAACP stated that the case “leaves deeply troubling doubts about whether about whether justice was administered in a fair, impartial and competent manner.”
The NAACP is hoping Judge McShane will consider “remedial action — through a new grand jury, appointment of a new special prosecutor, or other means.”
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