Michael Brown Juror Sues to Speak Out

A member of the grand jury that decided not to indict police officer Darren Wilson over the death of Michael Brown is suing St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Bob McCulloch for the right to speak out on the case. “Grand Juror Doe” claims that McCulloch failed to portray the case accurately by placing “a stronger focus on the victim [Brown] than in other cases presented to the grand jury,” according to the lawsuit, filed in federal court Monday. The suit also alleges that McCulloch conveyed the legal standards for the case in a “muddled” and “untimely” manner. Members of grand juries are not allowed to talk about their cases, but the lawsuit argues that “any interests furthered by maintaining grand jury secrecy are outweighed by the interests secured by the First Amendment.” The plaintiff argues in the brief that speaking publicly would educate the public about the grand jury process and “contribute to the current public dialogue concerning race relations.”