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Legal Expert Not Surprised US Justice Dept Not Charging Ferguson Policeman

© REUTERS / St. Louis County Prosecutor's Office/Handout via ReutersSt. Louis County Prosecutor's Office photo shows Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson
St. Louis County Prosecutor's Office photo shows Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson - Sputnik International
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The Distinguished Professor of Law and the Director of the Center for Civil Rights stated that the possible exculpation of Darren Wilson who had killed unarmed African-American teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson by the US Department of Justice would be disappointing, but not surprising.

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WASHINGTON, January 22 (Sputnik) — The US Department of Justice is possibly closing the case of a white policeman, Darren Wilson, who killed unarmed African-American teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri could be expected, because of the state prosecution standards, Distinguished Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Civil Rights Theodore Shaw told Sputnik.

The Department of Justice intends to explain its decision in a report, but the time of release is still not clear, The New York Times revealed Wednesday, adding that the conclusion was made after the Federal Bureau of Investigation did not find enough evidence to support charges. US Attorney General Eric Holder has not formally announced the final decision yet.

“If that happens, I will be disappointed, but it won’t be a surprise,” Shaw told Sputnik News Agency on Wednesday. “The reality is that the federal standard for prosecuting these cases is a much, much more difficult standard to meet than the local state,” he added.

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To charge Wilson, it was necessary to prove that the officer had an intent to deprive Michael Brown of his civil rights, professor explained.

“That’s an almost impossible standard to meet,” Shaw said.

In November 2014, grand jury found white police officer Darren Wilson not guilty in the death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown, he fatally shot in August. The case reignited issues of race and police brutality throughout the United States and resulted in protests over the court ruling.

In January, Grand Juror who participated in the investigation, filed a lawsuit against St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney for the right to provide more accurate details about the case, claiming the implication that all grand jurors believed there was no support for any charges, according to the lawsuit.

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