MO - Grief & protests follow shooting of teen Michael Brown #16

[krimekat]

apologies if this was all ready posted

Ferguson proposes municipal court reforms, adding police review board

FERGUSON • The Ferguson City Council announced plans Monday to make changes designed to reduce court fine revenue, reform court procedures and start a Citizen Review Board that will help keep an eye on and guide the police department.

“The overall goal of these changes is to improve trust within the community and increase transparency, particularly within Ferguson’s courts and police department,” Councilman Mark Byrne said in a statement.

“We want to demonstrate to residents that we take their concerns extremely seriously. That’s why we’re initiating new changes within our local police force and in our courts.”

While the city is making these changes, officials will hold ward meetings to get public input.

Some of the proposals are on the agenda for the City Council meeting at 7 tonight at Greater Grace Church, 3690 Pershall Road.

Officials said they hope this change will encourage the municipal judge and prosecutor to use alternative sentencing methods, like community service, as punishment.

Another proposed ordinance would repeal the separate offense of “failure to appear” in municipal court. Defendants who don’t show up would no longer face a new fine.

Another ordinance would abolish the $25 administrative fee that goes along with towing costs; the city will now pay for that.

Another would take away a $50 warrant recall fee and a $15 notification fee that goes along with a case where a defendant has failed to appear.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/...cle_bfb4e505-527f-5f70-bab9-1e41a5b2380e.html

wow - another suburb bites the dust

 

[krimekat]

He's been granted immunity? Or is that another lie?

lie

there are investigations going on by StL County PD & FBI while the GJ is presented the facts of the case-- gawd! I know we know all this though the peanut gallery doesn't

 

[krimekat]

I think unlawfully blocking traffic on an interstate is dangerous and probably a crime. IMO


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http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/chapters/chap304.htm

it's a crime

 

[Linda7NJ]

The grandma angle has been niggling at me, and I just figured out why. Early on, very shortly after the shooting before anyone really had any idea what had happened, it was reported that the grandma saw him running in her neighborhood.

Here:
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/missouri-crowd-after-shooting-kill-police

Brown's grandmother, Desiree Harris, said she saw him running in her neighborhood Saturday afternoon when she passed him in her car. Just minutes later, after she returned home, she heard a commotion and went outside to check on it. Less than two blocks away, she found Brown's body.

"He was running this way," she said. "When I got up there, my grandson was lying on the pavement."
​

This was even reported and discussed here on this forum, here:
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...own&p=10853402&highlight=desiree#post10853402

I notice that pretty quickly the grandmother's sighting of MB was changed to the grandmother saw him "walking" in her neighborhood, and shortly after that the grandmother's sighting ceased to be mentioned.

Did grandma just miss seeing the shooting? Is is possible that grandma actually saw the shooting? We have no reason to believe that MB was running prior to the altercation at the car, so if she really did see him running, she must have seen him while he was running either toward or away from OW.

She seemed willing enough to talk to the media initially, but she's hardly been seen or heard from since, except for her attendance at the funeral.

This makes me go "hmmmm......"

Odd...whenever I see my own son or my mother does...we stop...chat...
I even stop for his friends to see if they need a ride.


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[Lovejac]

I had started a list awhile ago of charges Michael might have faced. I've seen others post some too. Maybe a running list would help?

Here were some I considered:

Strong arm robbery (2nd degree robbery) - Class B felony
Assault
Assault on LE
Disorderly conduct
Resisting or interfering with arrest - Class D Felony. http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/c500-599/5750000150.htm


Obstructing a police officer
Failure to follow a lawful order (2x don't walk on road, which blocked traffic; freeze)
Attempted murder if his hand caused gun to fire

*If* he had any charges pending but not yet adjudicated, those could factor in.

If he had a significant juvenile record and was charged with a felony, it could've come in to play.

If he was gang affiliated, that can be considered.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...ld-be-admissible-at-a-federal-criminal-trial/

It's also unlawful for a person who's neither driving or in an vehicle to disobey an officer's order to stop, such as by running away on foot or some other means.
http://criminal.lawyers.com/criminal-law-basics/criminal-law-crime-definition-faqs.html


I think these are important and could go to Michael's state of mind and why he fought so hard to avoid apprehension, particularly if he was on probation, had a deferred adjudication or sentence, had pending charges or was part of a diversion program with conditions.

Good list. Don't forget obstructing traffic. Or as the other side likes to call it 'jaywalking' :giggle:

 

[Linda7NJ]

Thinking today if OW willfully choose to kill MB why did it take so many shots?

Wilson had his bell rung but good...IMO


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[krimekat]

I totally understand what you are saying. But at the same time, there is a very large group of people, in Ferguson area, that are promising civil unrest if OW is not immediately arrested. I think that it is logical to use the word 'they' for a group that marches and chants in unison. jmo :cow:

honestly, it's not the people of Ferguson area demanding this . . . where do most of these people live? Not Ferguson, not even StL City/County

 

[CHERIE.T]

I think so, too. That's why it surprised me when Parks referred to it as "a big gash." Because that does draw attention to it. In that interview that you excerpted, Parks uses the phrase "big gash" three times, and "rather large gash" once, and also describes it as "it's pretty big and it's pretty open." Then he throws it off to "the experts" to explain how it happened.

We can surmise that was said for a 'reason'.

 

[branwynbreeze]

The ridiculous part is Gray IS an attorney. He knows the law. My belief is he is just rebel rousing to keep chaos brewing. Sickening.

Referring to the grand jury proceedings currently underway in the Brown case, Gray said that process should move forward, but only after the arrest of Wilson.

Gray also said the world had become fixated on Brown’s death precisely because he was said to have had his hands in the air.

“That distinguishes this case from any other case around the globe,” Gray said. “Where is the outrage for someone who killed the young man in that position?”

 

[Klood-N]

All lawyers should know that. And Attorneys too.:fence:

I think he knows, just like their faux outrage over Michael lying there. It's being used to incite others and in turn use those angry masses to apply pressure. I think they're very aware of the facts of the case and that they do not warrant an indictment and if it's ruled justified, it scuttles any wrongful death suit. That's why they tiptoe around facts like the hand gash as we discussed earlier.

 

[krimekat]

The attorney is calling for an arrest before an indictment. Right.

this is what is so concerning to me - no idea of the actual law of due process!!! and lying to the masses to incite violence IMHO

 

[Lovejac]

No accident the interstate blocking is scheduled for tomorrow, when the grand jurors will be trying to get home. I hope they're royally po'd.

I hadn't even made that connection. Nice :facepalm:

 

[Klood-N]

Wilson had his bell rung but good...IMO


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Yep, an article said he was dazed after Michael hit him.

 

[BunnyHop]

So now, a failure to appear has no consequence? Why would anyone appear for a court date then?

So does this mean that the protestors that are angry about the court system are going to stop the civil unrest? Oh wait a a minute...tyhey are closing down the freeway tomorrow...because he was in sty street for 4 hours...because the livery company didnt have bullet proof vests and couldn't pick him up...the parents knew that...but now the protests are highlighting the 4 hours, as if it was the FPDs fault...:facepalm:

BBM crazy isn't it?

 

[sorrell skye]

The attorney is calling for an arrest before an indictment. Right.

I found this info about a NC police officer who was arrested before he was indicted for voluntary manslaughter of an unarmed man.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/20...enies-effort-to-block-grand.html#.VA9QA4zn9ZQ

There's also a recent high profile case involving a private citizen who was arrested prior to being indicted - Justin Ross Harris (WS has a sub-forum dedicated to this case).

Apparently, it's not unheard of for a police officer or a private citizen to be arrested before an indictment is handed down.

The above two cases notwithstanding, I think Gray needs to remember that in order to arrest someone prior to an indictment, probable cause must exist.

Gray may believe personally that probable cause does exist, but probable cause must be supported by evidence, not just the shaky testimony of a few alleged eye-witnesses whose accounts may differ dramatically from other eye-witness accounts.

 

[Linda7NJ]

http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/chapters/chap304.htm

it's a crime

That's a really long long list...what's the penalty?


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[Klood-N]

http://www.ksdk.com/story/sports/hi...normandy-football-honors-mike-brown/14430259/
http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2014/08/mike_brown_shooting_ferguson_family.php

"He wanted to go there and do the music thing, he also wanted to go to another college because he wanted to play football. His coach at his school in Normandy said that he could do that, get into a college playing football," said Harris, Brown's grandmother.

Seems MB did play football

Yep, we had a good discussion about it and the skills and size offensive tackles like Michael have earlier today.

 

[Lovejac]

Maybe this "secret" GJ will meet on a secret day this week. :lol:

Maybe they have a 'secret' road to use to get home.

 

[branwynbreeze]

Have they permits for these protests?

What about permits?

Do I need a permit before I engage in free speech activity?

Not usually. However, certain types of events require permits. For example:

A march or parade that does not stay on the sidewalk, and other events that require blocking traffic or street closure;
A large rally requiring the use of sound amplifying devices; or
A rally at certain designated parks or plazas.
https://www.aclu.org/free-speech/know-your-rights-demonstrations-and-protests

Check this out:

In fact, speaking of Shahid, I'd seen people pointing him out here and other places. He's clearly been very involved in this.

“We’re going to tie it down, lock it down,” Anthony Shahid, one of the lead organizers of the rally, told supporters from the stage at a park. The following week, if the coalition’s demands were not met, including that Officer Wilson be fired and arrested on charges of murder, another four-minute traffic shutdown would occur on two days instead of just one, he said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/31/us/at-ferguson-march-call-for-labor-day-highway-protest.html?_r=0

Sounds like they are trying to hold the city hostage to get their demands met.

 

[Elley Mae]

I think he knows, just like their faux outrage over Michael lying there. It's being used to incite others and in turn use those angry masses to apply pressure. I think they're very aware of the facts of the case and that they do not warrant an indictment and if it's ruled justified, it scuttles any wrongful death suit. That's why they tiptoe around facts like the hand gash as we discussed earlier.

bbm That has bothered me. Don't know why, but it is different from the rest for them to have to single it out. I do wonder what did happen there. I wonder if it is a graze from a bullet or a wound from another source.