Short week, short news roundup. National attention remains focused on Ferguson, Missouri, where attorneys for Michael Brown’s family have weighed in on the prosecutor’s handling of the grand jury proceedings concerning Brown’s shooting. The attorneys “criticized everything from the types of evidence . . . presented to the jury to the way it was presented and the timing of the grand jury’s decision,” according to this story on WRAL. There were several Ferguson-related protests locally, including one that blocked a freeway in Durham. Opinion is certainly divided about the prosecutor’s management of the process, as this Think Progress story notes. In other news: Justice Beasley wins in recount. The State Board of Elections certified its results yesterday, including the result of a recount in the race between state supreme court justice Cheri Beasley and challenger Mike Robinson. As in the preliminary count, Justice Beasley won by over 5,000 votes. Charlotte stingray applications and orders unsealed. I recently blogged about stingrays, the devices used by police to locate suspects’ cell phones. It’s not completely clear what legal standard must be met in order for police to use them, and historically, most court orders authorizing their use have been sealed. In Charlotte, the police, prosecutors, and the media recently reached an agreement paving the way for the unsealing of a large number of applications and court orders that were issued in connection with older cases. It may be largest release of stingray-related documents that has ever taken place, and both the Charlotte Observer [...]
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