It looks like evidence used by the Ferguson, Mo., grand jury to decide whether to criminally charge Officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of unarmed teen Michael Brown may not be made public, according to a St. Louis County Circuit Court official, Yahoo News reports.
Under normal circumstances, grand jury evidence remains sealed after a decision has been handed down. But for months, "prosecuting attorney Robert McCulloch has said he would seek a rare court order from Judge Carolyn Whittington immediately releasing nearly all evidence should Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson not be charged," Yahoo News reports.
During a radio interview in September, McCulloch said the judge had agreed to release documents if there was no indictment, and recently, reporters were sent emails with instructions on how to connect to a special server that would hold the evidence viewed by the grand jury, Yahoo News reports. On Sunday, however, in a statement viewed by Yahoo News from Paul Fox, the director of judicial administration, it was announced that "Judge Whittington has entered no such order and has made no such agreement."
In the statement, Fox noted that the "judge anticipates a request if there is no indictment, but some of those requests will require the court to analyze the need for maintaining secrecy of the records with the need for public disclosure of the records," Yahoo reports.
It is rumored that a decision is expected before the end of the week, and the jury is reported to be meeting Monday to review more information.
"The court awaits the decision of the grand jury," Fox wrote. "The court will thereafter be guided by the law in its response to requests for grand jury records."
Read more at Yahoo News.