OUTRAGEOUS – AT 8:29 A.M. ET:  Irresponsible statements by public officials aren't helping to calm Ferguson, Missouri, where protests, some violent, continue over the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown.   Now the Democratic governor weighs in, with little regard for the idea of "a nation of laws."  From Fox:   

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon drew criticism from his own Lt. Governor Tuesday when he said "a vigorous prosecution must now be pursued" in the shooting death of black 18-year-old Michael Brown by white police Officer Darren Wilson in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson.

Nixon made the comment in a videotaped statement in which he said he would not remove St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch from the case despite the demands of some black leaders who believe that McCulloch's deep family ties to law enforcement would affect his impartiality. McCullouch's father, mother, brother, uncle and cousin all worked for the St. Louis Police Department, and his father was killed while responding to a call involving a black suspect.

In his statement, Nixon cited what he called the "well-established process" by which prosecutors can recuse themselves from pending investigations to make way for a special prosecutor. Departing from that process, Nixon said in a statement, "could unnecessarily inject legal uncertainty into this matter and potentially jeopardize the prosecution."

"We have a responsibility," Nixon said, "to come together, and do everything we can to achieve justice for [Brown's] family." Nixon added that McCulloch and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder had an obligation "to achieve justice in the shooting death of Michael Brown must be carried out thoroughly, promptly, and correctly."

COMMENT:  It is not proper for a governor to urge a "vigorous prosecution" of anyone.  It is proper for him to call for justice.  Nor is it proper for a governor to call on society to "achieve justice for Brown's family."  We don't have private justice in America.  The family of Michael Brown is grieving, that's true.  We can sympathize with their grief.  But the phrase "justice for Brown's family" will be interpreted to mean arresting and convicting the officer who shot him, regardless of the facts.

The officer may well be guilty of something, but that's for a jury to decide, not the governor.  Some of these people should just shut up, instead of trying to satisfy a constituency.

August 20, 2014