Could Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson be held accountable in court?

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Aug 28, 2014

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Could Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson be held accountable in court?

A grand jury convened last week to examine the evidence and decide whether to indict Darren Wilson, the police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown.

Demonstrators protest the killing of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown across the street from the Ferguson Police Department in Ferguson, Mo.

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A grand jury convened last week to examine the evidence and decide whether to indict Darren Wilson, the police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown.

The fatal shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown more than two weeks ago set off a wave of protests and calls for the arrest of Darren Wilson, the Ferguson, Missouri police officer who shot the 18-year-old.

Last week, a grand jury convened to decide whether to indict Officer Wilson, and Attorney General Eric Holder announced a separate federal investigation. But even if they determine that Wilson acted improperly, it's unlikely that he or the city of Ferguson will actually be held accountable. That's what Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Irvine School of Law, recently argued in an op-ed in the New York Times.