The attorneys for the Michael Brown family say having a case against Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson go to trial would be better for the public than the grand jury process that has been taking place.
Anthony Gray (R) and Benjamin Crump, attorneys for the Michael Brown family, read a statement from the family at the Justice Center in Clayton, Missouri on November 13, 2014, in response to a press conference held earlier in the week by Governor Jay Nixon. On November 11, Nixon outlined a plan to deal with the possibility of protests. Some have been critical of the use of riot gear and the National Guard during past protests. UPI/Bill Greenblatt
Attorney Benjamin Crump has been saying since the grand jury was given the case that he thinks there is enough evidence to charge Wilson with a crime.
“That was not to violate the police officer’s due process. Nobody’s saying he’s guilty until proven innocent,” says Crump. “We thought it would be better for everybody here that they saw all the evidence, all the witnesses, and that there was cross-examination of all the evidence and all the witnesses, so whatever decision that was handed down, people would accept.”
St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch says if the grand jury does not indict Wilson, all the evidence in the case will be released. Brown family attorney Anthony Gray says there would still be something missing.
“We may get the benefit of hearing and seeing all of the evidence that was presented to the grand jury but what we’re missing would be how that information was presented,” says Gray. “What emphasis was placed on what piece of evidence? What were the inflections in the voices, and those kinds of things that we will not have the benefit of actually seeing once all the information is out … in terms of presenting evidence is very key in having persuasive power.”
The grand jury heard testimony Thursday from Dr. Michael Baden, the pathologist hired by the Brown family to conduct an autopsy privately on Michael Brown’s body, but Crump and Gray would not comment on what Baden’s testimony would be. They did say that Baden had reclassified a wound to Brown’s chest as an entry wound, but would not discuss the significance of that finding.
The grand jury’s decision is expected to be released by the end of the month.
