Thoughts on tonight’s shameful press conference by St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch

Earlier this evening, St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch held a long, self-serving press conference to disclose that the grand jury he decided to make responsible for deciding whether charges ought to be brought against Officer Darren Wilson in the killing of Michael Brown had not returned an indictment. It was a shamefully staged event that has deservedly drawn much ridicule and scorn.

Here are some reactions to McCulloch’s statement, compiled from Twitter:

David Corn: This is a defensive statement. You can guess why.

Adam Bonin: McCullough has no right to claim to “join with” the Brown family or civil rights organizations about *anything*. That’s offensive.

Stephen Rose: The prosecutor defends the accused and presents his statement as the verdict. Is something wrong with that picture?

Congressman John Lewis: I know this hard. I know this is difficult. Do not succumb to the temptations of violence. There is a more powerful way.

Nichole: Shoot up a movie theater; blow up a marathon. Get taken alive. Steal blunts; hold a toy gun. Die.

Meredith Clark: This is unbelievable. If you’re not going to indict, say that. Don’t indict the public.

Judd Legum: Let’s not pretend this was an outcome of a well functioning judicial system that we are obligated to “accept”.

Ryan Grim: On probable cause: My car has been searched many times on less evidence than exists to merely charge Darren Wilson.

NPI President Robert Cruickshank: Indicted: Twitter. Media. Witnesses. Not indicted: officer who murdered a black man.

St. Louis Public Radio is uploading copies of the evidence that the grand jury considered while deliberating on whether to indict.