Ferguson grand jury investigated for misconduct

St. Louis County is investigating potential misconduct on the grand jury that is hearing the case against a Ferguson police officer who fatally shot unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown, according to The Washington Post.

A Post story from early Wednesday evening says a spokesman for the county prosecutor confirmed that they are “looking into the matter,” after an activist forwarded a screenshot that appears to show someone discussing the case on Twitter.

{mosads}“I know someone sitting on the grand jury of this case,” the tweet reads. “There isn’t enough at this point to warrant an arrest.”

Tweet embed:

Within seconds of posting this, her friends told her to delete it and she did. It was screenshotted first. pic.twitter.com/b6kTf9p40h

— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) October 1, 2014

Grand juries must remain secret, in part to protect the person the jury is debating charging. Any breach of that privacy could jeopardize the grand jury and could force the prosecutor’s office to start over. 

The Washington Post said that the jury could decide whether to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson by November, but that was before the newest charges of misconduct. Brown’s death sparked outrage and exacerbated racial tensions in the St. Louis area, which culminated in demonstrations that pitted protestors against police. A number of lawmakers and pundits criticized police officers for using tear gas and armored vehicles to clear the streets.