Prosecutor in Michael Brown Case Has Deep Family Ties to Police

[joeybee12]

The prosecutor heading the Michael Brown investigation has a perception problem: When it comes to his impartiality, the jury is still out.

Overseeing possible charges in the shooting death of the unarmed teen falls on St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert P. McCulloch, a Missouri native whose police officer father was killed in the line of duty when McCulloch was 12.

McCulloch's mother, brother, uncle and cousin also worked for the St. Louis police department. Those close family ties to the police — and a bellwether decision 14 years ago not to prosecute two cops who shot and killed two suspects in a drug bust — have raised doubts about his objectivity in deciding whether Ferguson, Missouri, officer Darren Wilson should be prosecuted for the Aug. 9 killing of Brown, 18.

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/michael-brown-shooting/prosecutor-michael-brown-case-has-deep-family-ties-police-n183911

[MineralMan]

1. I believe a special prosecutor should have been appointed.

That prosecutor should not be from the immediate area. This will probably end up as a federal civil rights case, in the end, since I do not believe that the local jurisdiction will charge the Ferguson cop with anything.

[BlueCaliDem]

2. He should be publicly asked to recuse himself or he should be replaced.

There's NO WAY he'll prosecute Darren Wilson in any way that will have him convicted of murder - and that's exactly what that murderer has done. Murdered. He's murdered an unarmed, surrendering, eighteen year old Black man without a criminal record, and shot him in the streets execution-style.

This biased prosecutor should have been removed by the Governor when he went public, criticizing said Governor and trying to make him appear incompetent. Now we hear that he has deep family ties with the St. Louis P.D.??

If McCulloch won't recuse himself or the Governor is to chicken$#!^ to remove and replace him (and all signs point to yes, he is too chicken $#!^), the president should declare martial law and have the Federal Government take over. Otherwise, I see a full acquittal of a cold-blooded murderer with a badge in the near future, and that acquittal will only bolster our trigger-happy police force to continue to gun down unarmed people of color as if they're working hard at thinning out Democratic Party voters. Wait...

[appal_jack]

3. Um, NO, the President should NOT declare martial law.

Um, NO, the President should NOT declare martial law.

However, appointing a Federal Grand Jury to investigate whether Michael Brown's civil rights were violated (which certainly seems to be the case) and then charge the cop Wilson for doing so (possibly along with the whole PD and city for systemic racism) would be a productive use of Federal power.

-app

[atreides1]

4. I believe he's already been asked!

By several state legislators...so far not happening! And according to Missouri law and its Constitution the governor doesn't have the power or authority to remove him...that is the responsibility of the State Attorney General!

One consolation, McCulloch won't be the prosecutor that is dealing with the Grand Jury hearing.

[BlueCaliDem]

7. According to McCullough himself, he states that the Governor has the right to replace him.

I'm not a lawyer, but McCullough is.

This is what he said:

"I certainly have no intention of walking away from the responsibilities that the people have entrusted me with,” McCulloch says, “but I also understand if the governor were to do that, he has that right.”
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2014/08/19/st-louis-county-prosecutor-vows-to-handle-ferguson-case-fairly/

He stated that not he but his staff will be presenting evidence to the Grand Jury - and here is where he'll be able to control the information in order to get a possible acquittal for Darren Wilson.

“Absolutely everything will be presented to the grand jury,” McCulloch says. “We won’t be making, I won’t be making any decisions at all. I won’t even be presenting the actual evidence. My staff will be doing that.”

Right. And they'll do all of that without his approval, right?

Missouri Congressman William “Lacy” Clay said this about the Grand Jury hearing with McCullough at the helm (at the same link):

“The prosecutor has the power to convince a jury to indict a ham sandwich, if he chooses to,” Clay said, quoting an old saying about the power of prosecutors.

I'm certain McCullough knows that saying, too.

[ReRe]

5. It really is the most bizarre situation...

... that the person who is to prosecute this case for the state is someone so compromised. Those protesters should be shouting "No Justice? No Peace!" Because that's exactly what's going to happen. There can never be peace without justice.

Did anyone catch that part of Nixon's speech the other day when he announced his Emergency Declaration, calling in the Nat'l Guard? He said there would be no justice without peace! People in the audience started shouting before he even got it out of his mouth. Evidently, he looks at that phrase "No justice, no peace" differently than everyone else does.

[conservaphobe]

6. Jay Nixon had the power to fix this and he didn't. What a useless prick.

I reserve criticism of Democratic politicians for moments like this.

Fuck Jay Nixon.

[JEB]

8. If this had been handled properly,

Michael Brown would be facing his jaywalking on a quiet street with no cars charge. Sad and sickening.

[cleduc]

9. This is just plain wrong particularly under these circumstances

This task belongs to someone perceived by many, including police and black citizens, as qualified, objective, honest, totally independent with no ties, no conflicts of interest, no bias, etc.

After the Rodney King verdict:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Los_Angeles_riots

The riots, beginning the day of the verdicts, peaked in intensity over the next two days. A dusk-to-dawn curfew and deployment of the California Army National Guard eventually controlled the situation.[citation needed]

53 people died during the riots, including ten who were shot dead by police and military forces,[25] with as many as 2,000 people injured. Estimates of the material losses vary between about $800 million and $1 billion.[26] Approximately 3,600 fires were set, destroying 1,100 buildings, with fire calls coming once every minute at some points. Widespread looting also occurred. Stores owned by Korean and other Asian ethnicities were widely targeted.[27]

To leave this man in this position risks more lives being lost. It might be more stupid than how Darren Wilson handled Mike Brown because they have the luxury of more time to deliberate their actions.

For the sake of avoiding more innocent citizens potentially getting hurt, shut this guy down!

It's a no brainer.

[Baitball Blogger]

10. Good ole Anglo-American justice.

You can set your watch to it.

[Faryn Balyncd]

11. Link to MoveOn PETITION for special prosecutor (by Missouri State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025418446

[liberal from boston]

12. Darren Wilson & Grand Jury

Last night Lawrence O'Donnell had a great segment w/ a criminal defense lawyer about the DA offering Darren Wilson an opportunity to testify before the Grand Jury: http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word-with-lawrence-odonnell/watch/should-the-prosecutor-recuse-himself--319936067851

[pintobean]

13. Duh. By their nature, prosecutors have close ties to police.

They are two phases of law enforcement that work together. I don't know why people are surprised by this.
St. Louis County cops might be seen as pricks, but the department is a very professional organization. They do not like bad cops who make them, or their profession, look bad. They vigorously prosecute such cops. I've seen it. This guy isn't even one of theirs. If they think it was a bad shoot, they're going after Wilson.