Ferguson Braces...

 

“Sales are off the charts,” said Steven King, a white owner of Metro Shooting Supplies in Bridgeton, a mostly white suburb about 10 miles from Ferguson. He held up a stack of about 100 new applications for the federal background check needed to buy a weapon. “People are in fear of their lives. They’re just scared to death. The rumors are that every single area is a threat.”

St. Louis routinely has one of the nation’s highest violent crime rates, but Brown’s death was the only homicide in Ferguson this year.

At least a few locals worry that all of these very public preparations for violent protests could be a self-fulling prophecy. “I don’t think the reaction would have been as violent as what everyone is thinking,” said Hubert H. Hoosman Jr., who is black and owns a real estate consulting firm a few blocks from Ferguson’s police station. “But I do worry what it says that everyone keeps talking about it as if it’s a given.”  CS Monitor

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 I wrote here a while back that it was very unlikely that any grand jury would indict Wilson and it seems that will be the case. 

The same thing is likely to happen if Obama seeks a civil rights violation indictment from s federal grand jury.

Even the DoJ effort to stand the Ferguson police department on its head is likely to fail because such a DoJ effort will be dependent on a ruling from a federal judge.  Such a ruling would be subject to judicial review.  This attempt would quickly become a deeply political act in which the relative powers of the federal government and the State of Missouri will be a major issue in Washington.

What might happen in Ferguson if the grand jury does not indict?  IMO there will be widespread disorder so severe that a lot of property damage will occur as well as attacks on policemen.  In this situation the governor of Missouri is likely to employ the National Guard.

What will Obama's reaction to that be?  pl  

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/Decoder-Voices/2014/1117/Ferguson-braces-for-prospect-of-no-indictment-in-Michael-Brown-shooting-case

Comments

[BabelFish]

The definition of homocide is the deliberate and Unlawful killing of one person by another. Did the CSM just decide that it was a homocide or was that a slip by an otherwise thoughtful and careful newspaper?

[Haralambos]

I am not a lawyer, but this is a definition I found: "The killing of one human being by another human being" (http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/homicide).

[tv]

Obama's reaction?
He (and his stooge Holder) threw lots of gas on this fire.
Now?
I'm fairly sure that they have NO clue about what to do next.
This is a White House populated by (dumb), self involved children.
They'll make up something, put it on the ubiquitous teleprompter and Obama will recite it.
Then holder can call (again) America a racist country - from which he has benefited mightily, BTW.

[Samuelburke]

Haralambos, Police misconduct is so rare i do not know why they make such a big deal out of this. Sarcasm.

Ferguson corrections officer raped woman in jail, lawsuit alleges

http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2014/11/17/ferguson-police-officer-raped-woman-in-jail.html?ana=twt&r=full

And just because there are examples like this in every state with little to no accountability doesn't mean police are treated as untouchables when they commit a crime.

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/11/17/is-texas-getting-ready-kill-innocent-man/

[oofda]

Another question is will the Ferguson PD let the policeman who shot Brown stay on the force? It is one thing to not indict in in a criminal prosecution - but another thing to keep the man on the force. That may be the best exit out of this, for all parties, including the policeman. If he stays on the Ferguson PD, he is going to be a trouble magnet, justified or not.

[shepherd]

Homicide just means killing of a person. It need not be deliberate or unlawful. You can have a "justifiable homicide," and probably will in this case.

[Old Gun Pilot]

BabelFish
What you have defined is murder or in some cases voluntary manslaughter. Homicide is not always unlawful.
OGP

[steve]

Yes, which is why the distinction between justifiable homicide and other sorts of homicide come into play.

[turcopolier]

All

The governor of Missouri has declared a state of emergency and placed the NG at the disposal of the St. Louis County police department in advance of the announcement of the grand jury decision on indictment. pl

[Fred]

Samuelburke,

"lawsuit alleges". You left out little details like the alleged rapist is not a white male police officer in an overwhelmingly black community and shocker - he hasn't been convicted.

[Fred]

Col.,

The order seems to cover the entire state though undoubtably St. Louis County is probably the focal point for any unrest. I also see from the Governor's order it appears he fears that AG Holder or President Obama might try to make this a federal issue and has called out the militia rather than the national guard.

"I further order, pursuant to Section 41.480, RSMo, the Adjutant General of the State of Missouri, or his designee, to forthwith call and order into active service such portions of the organized militia as he deems necessary to protect life and property and assist civilian authorities and..."

http://governor.mo.gov/news/executive-orders/executive-order-14-14

[turcopolier]

fred

The ARNG of Missouri is part of the "organized militia" of the state. A state wide declaration is necessary to make all the Guard in the state available. pl

[Fred]

Col., thanks for the clarification. I thought after posting my comment that the wording 'organized militia' was legal terminology and nothing more.

[Laura Wilson]

Samuelburke…I wonder what the stats are on police crime prosecutions/convictions? There must be a data base somewhere….

[Peter C]

A question about National Guard deployments. In the past I have read that at times the Guard has been deployed with out ammunition. It seams that in a Tornado devastated area in Wyoming the Guard was deployed without ammunition in a security situation to prevent looting. This was over 30 years ago.

[turcopolier]

Peter C

It's a commander's decision. In this case the governor is the commander. pl

[Tyler]

Laura,

There is, but when you start breaking it down by race you're going to notice one group stands out disproportionately. Your badthink reflex will be triggered.

[shepherd]

Laura Wilson,

There are numerous such databases. A simple Internet search can lead you to them. I'd guess police conviction rates and sentences would be less than the general public, but I wouldn't say that's entirely because they are police. You also have to account for the fact that they would know the system and know what to say during an interrogation (i.e. nothing). They would also most likely be first time offenders.

[harry]

Are there figures collected regarding those killed by police officers nationwide? whether lawful or not? I would be quite interested in those stats.

[Jim Ticehurst]

Another Sad State of the Union Being Fueled by Our POTUS Instead of being a Leader who should be using his Power and Influence to Calm Events and Racial Tensions...
He seems to want to use His Power To Expand His "Liberation Theology" Here in the United States as he has done with His Tampering in Egypt and Libya and other Areas..

He also now Raised the Stakes on the Hispanic Immigration issue to the level of another Racial Confrontation if the Republicans now come Back and Abolish His Amnesty Actions tonight...Our Domestic and Foreign Policys and Conflicts just continue to more serious and Dangerous levels IMO..

Shame on the Politicians and Agitators..I feel Bad for Our Nation ..The Weather and economy are bad enough .

[turcopolier]

All

As I was saying... IMO it will be worse tonight as the violent flock to the place. A blizzard would be helpful. I wonder how many of the burned businesses belonged to Black people. This reminds me of Watts. As I thought the conflicting testimony and the corroborating forensic evidence made it very unlikely that Wilson would be indicted. Can the feds indict without a grand jury? Think about it folks. Would a petit jury have convicted Wilson? pl

[Fred]

Col.,

I think you are correct, tonight will be worse.

[turcopolier]

Cee

The same lawyers who now reject the GJ process would have welcomed it if Wilson had been indicted. pl