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(FERGUSON, Mo.) -- The town of Ferguson, Missouri, is braced for a grand jury decision on the Aug. 9 shooting in which unarmed teenager Michael Brown was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson.

The shooting led to weeks of protests that at times turned violent, and authorities fear a resumption of the angry protest when the jury's verdict is released.

Here is what you need to know about how the grand jury works and what they are considering:

What is the grand jury being asked to decide about?

"A grand jury is just asked two questions: is there probable cause to believe a crime was committed? Is there some evidence, according to the 'more likely than not' standard, that the person accused was involved with the crime?" civil rights attorney and adjunct Washington University St. Louis law professor Bob Herman told ABC News.

The grand jury's ruling will determine whether Wilson is charged with a crime and faces a trial. The charge could range from manslaughter to murder, he said. The jury could also decide that no criminal act was committed by Wilson.

The U.S. Attorney General's office is also investigating the incident and they could determine if the officer violated Brown's civil rights.

What evidence are they considering?

Most grand juries hear from just a few witnesses, including individuals with authority in the specific case, but not everyone involved. That is not the case in this grand jury. State prosecutor Robert McCulloch has said that he was planning on presenting "absolutely everything" to the jury.

"If it was a homicide case, the lead investigator may come in and tell what evidence exists. They may talk about the medical examiner’s report, maybe the grand jury will have a copy of it, but this [Michael Brown grand jury] is an unusual event because he [McCulloch] has called every witness and presented every piece of evidence that exists,” civil rights attorney Steve Ryals told ABC News.

"I think in part because he wants to be able to say 'Look, you've accused me of being biased.' There is a concern that the grand jury will do whatever the prosecutor will tell the grand jury to do...He now can say ‘Look, I didn’t hold anything back. I presented everything. They [the jurors] had an option to ask for more if they wanted," Ryals said.

Do we know any of the witnesses that were asked to testify?

Officially, the list of witnesses is kept sealed, but through leaks, some of the witnesses have been reported. One whose testimony was widely publicized was the Brown family’s forensics expert, former New York City Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Michael Baden.

Another controversial witness was the officer, Darren Wilson. Ryals said the fact that the man at the center of the case was called in was "in and of itself unusual."

Ryals said that if the prosecutor kept his promise to include everything, Ryals suspects that the jury received testimony from “all of the witnesses at the scene, they would have heard from the police investigators. Aside from the witnesses, there would be a whole body of information around the forensic investigation -- where the shell casings landed, the blood spatter, that kind of thing,” Ryals said.

Is there one central conflict between the two sides of the case?

The most crucial disagreement was claims by bystanders that Brown had his hands up when the final shots were fired, while the officer and the police department claims the cop feared for his life as Brown kept advancing.

The police union and the Ferguson Police Department said that Wilson initially stopped Brown and a friend and told them to stop walking in the street and blocking traffic. It is not clear whether Wilson at some point became aware that Brown matched the description of a suspect in the theft of cigars from a nearby convenience store.

Police said that Wilson was assaulted by Brown while the officer was still sitting in his car. They claimed there was a struggle over the officer’s gun and that Wilson fired at least one shot inside the patrol car.

Brown ran off and the officer exited the patrol car. Dorian Johnson, who was with Brown at the time of the shooting, said the teenager did not attempt to grab the cops gun and that Brown ran from the officer.

What did the autopsies tell about the shooting?

Two autopsies have been conducted on Brown’s body, one by the St. Louis County coroner and one by Dr. Michael Baden at the request of Brown’s family. The U.S. Department of Justice has also ordered an autopsy.

Baden’s autopsy concluded that Brown was shot at least six times and that the final bullet struck Brown in the top of the head.

The county autopsy, according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch which obtained a copy of the document, suggested that Brown was shot in the hand at such a close range that there may have been gun powder burns, which could support Wilson’s description of a struggle over his gun.

Experts have said that the autopsy and forensic report are unlikely to be able to determine whether Brown’s hands were raised when he was shot.

Did Darren Wilson suffer any injuries during the incident?

Police have said Wilson was taken to the hospital with a serious facial injury. Hospital and police records show that Wilson was taken to the hospital. A video of Wilson taken the night of the shooting show no obvious facial injuries.

Who is on the grand jury?

The 12-person jury is made up of a group of St. Louis residents who would have been selected from the normal subset of people who turned up for jury duty. The make up of the jury is officially kept secret.

The decision to charge Wilson with a crime does not need to be unanimous, Ryals said, noting that only nine jurors are needed to come to a conclusion.

What has their life been like since joining the grand jury?

Unlike certain criminal trials, the grand jury has not been sequestered, meaning that they have inevitably been exposed to the coverage and debate over the case. Part of the reason for the lack of sequestration is the fact that the grand jury reportedly only meets about once a week, usually on Wednesdays.

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(FERGUSON, Mo.) -- The Ferguson police officer under investigation for the fatal shooting of Michael Brown will soon learn if he will be indicted in the unarmed teen's death.

As the world awaits the decision from a grand jury, there are many scenarios that could play out for the officer, Darren Wilson, who has been on paid administrative leave from the police department since the shooting in August.

If Wilson is cleared of criminal charges in Brown's death, legally he would be able to continue working as a cop in Ferguson, but many people can't imagine Wilson would ever return to that police force. Wilson may also face an internal investigation that could result in disciplinary action by the police department.

Experts agreed there are two possibly competing interests at play -- the letter of the law and the court of public opinion.

"If there's no prosecution and he's not convicted of any crime, I don't see any bar to him returning to his employment as a police officer, or any other employment," said Robert Herman, an attorney in St. Louis. "Whether he would want to is another story."

Steven Gottlieb, a former police officer who now runs crime and intelligence training, agreed that the scenario could play out in many ways.

"It could be uncomfortable for him to return to the police department; it might be uncomfortable for the department to take him back," Gottlieb said. "But if he is indeed acquitted, the law gives him the privilege of returning. If he feels his effectiveness there is diminished, he may choose to go to another police department. Or, he may choose to quit the profession."

It's also a possibility Wilson could be relegated to desk work as opposed to being on the street, he added.

If Wilson is indicted, Wilson will likely turn himself in within a day or two at the Buzz Westfall Justice Center in Clayton, Missouri. State law requires that a grand jury indictment remain under seal until the accused is in custody. Unless news of an indictment leaks to the press or public, Wilson would likely have surrendered, been booked and possibly released on bond before a public announcement is even made.

The charges Wilson could face range from involuntary manslaughter to murder in the first degree, according to the prosecutor's office.

If indicted, his first court appearance would be an arraignment, though many defendants waive their arraignment, opting instead to have their lawyers appear and enter a plea on their behalf. A judge will then be assigned the case and a bond hearing could be held, but only if Wilson is jailed or wishes to contest the conditions of his pre-trial release.

Neither Wilson nor his attorneys have commented publicly about whether he intends to remain in law enforcement if cleared of criminal charges.

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(ST. LOUIS) — Missouri Governor Jay Nixon appointed a commission Tuesday to study the outrage that resulted from the shooting of an 18-year-old black man by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, last August 9.

The 16-person panel with both white and black members will be chaired by businessman Rich McClure and the Rev. Starsky Wilson, who was involved in some of the demonstrations that followed the shooting.

Nixon's move comes as a grand jury is preparing a decision on whether to indict police officer Darren Wilson for the shooting of Michael Brown following a brief altercation. A coroner's report says Brown, who was unarmed, was shot six times, including once in the head.

Earlier this week, Nixon declared a state of emergency to prepare law enforcement officials for the possibility of civil unrest, regardless if Wilson is indicted or not.

When he announced plans in October to form a commission, the governor stated that he wanted a thorough and wide-reaching review of the conditions in the Ferguson community that spurred anger leading to confrontations between police and protesters.

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(FERGUSON, Mo.) -- Schools in Ferguson, Missouri, released plans on Wednesday to ensure that students are off the streets - possibly including closing schools - ahead of the grand jury verdict in the shooting of teenager Michael Brown.

The Ferguson-Florissant School District said that whenever a decision is handed down, schools could close early or close for the day if the decision is released during a school day. The decision would affect schools beyond Ferguson and would include the entire district and its 23 schools, the majority of which are elementary schools.

They also noted that seven churches have agreed to work with the school district in providing free breakfast and lunches for students if the schools are closed.

"First, we will take actions necessary to ensure the safety of our students and staff, both at school and on their way home from school. Second, activity in the area that causes logistical or operational concerns may necessitate a change in our school schedule," Acting Superintendent Lawrence Larrew wrote in the statement.

The statement does not mention how long the change in schedule is expected to last, whether it be just the day of the announcement or multiple days after.

If the decision comes at night, the schools could continue with their normal schedules, the statement said.

One fact not mentioned in the note was that school officials are expected to have a heads-up for when the announcement will be made.

The Hazelton School district, which lies directly north of the Ferguson-Florissant district, posted a letter to parents last week saying that the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s office previously told educators that if the decision is made on a weekend, school superintendents will be notified 24 hours prior to the information being released to the media, and if it comes during the week, school districts will be given three hours of advance notice.

"The three-hour window will allow us enough time to transport students home safely," the letter states, though they do not specifically note if they will follow the same protocols of Ferguson-Florissant schools.

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(FERGUSON, Mo.) -- Al Sharpton said on Wednesday that he is "on high alert" for the grand jury decision in the case of Michael Brown, the unarmed black teenager who was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.

Sharpton said that his civil rights group, the National Action Network, have been planning for "vigils and non-violent demonstrations" when the Ferguson grand jury hands down its ruling, which is expected to come any day.

"I have pledged to the mother and father of Michael Brown that I will be there with them when the decision is announced," Sharpton said at a press conference Wednesday.

Sharpton said he is also waiting for a grand jury ruling on the death of Eric Garner, a black man who died while being held in a choke hold by a New York City police officer. That incident was caught on videotape.

He said both grand juries appear to be going beyond the usual protocol of hearing enough evidence to determine whether there should be a trial.

"It is very suspect to us that the grand juries in both cases appear to be improperly expanded to where it is about to prove or disprove the accused rather than seeing if there is probable cause to go to trial," Sharpton said.

"That is not the proper use" of a grand jury, he said. Such tribunals are generally used to deem whether or not there is enough probable cause for a criminal case, while guilt or innocence should not be their focus.

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Gun sales surge ahead of jury's Ferguson decision

Nov 19, 1:17 AM (ET)

By ALAN SCHER ZAGIER




FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) — Some suburban St. Louis gun dealers have been doing brisk business, particularly among first-time buyers, as fearful residents await a grand jury's decision on whether to indict the police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown.

Metro Shooting Supplies, in an area near the city's main airport, reports selling two to three times more weapons than usual in recent weeks — an average of 30 to 50 guns each day — while the jury prepares to conclude its three-month review of the case that sparked looting and weeks of sometimes-violent protests in August.

"We're selling everything that's not nailed down," owner Steven King said. "Police aren't going to be able to protect every single individual. If you don't prepare yourself and get ready for the worst, you have no one to blame but yourself."

The store's waiting list for private lessons and concealed-carry training classes extends into 2015.


Protest leaders say they are preparing for non-violent demonstrations after the grand jury's decision is announced, but they also acknowledge the risk of more unrest if the panel decides not to issue criminal charges against Darren Wilson, the white officer who shot Brown, who was black and unarmed.

Other gun dealers say their sales spikes are comparable to the increases seen soon after Brown's death on Aug. 9.

"I've probably sold more guns this past month than all of last year," said County Guns owner Adam Weinstein, who fended off looters last summer at his storefront on West Florissant Avenue, the roadway that was the scene of many nightly protests. Weinstein stood guard over his business with an assault rifle and pistol.

The store has since moved out of Ferguson — in part because of concerns about potential further violence.

First-time gun owners account for about 60 percent of his recent customers, King said. Among them is Dave Benne, who on Saturday purchased a Smith & Wesson handgun as shoppers swarmed the 8,600-square-foot showroom.

(AP) In this Saturday, Nov. 15, 2014 photo, handguns sit in a glass display case at Metro...
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Benne said he's considered buying a gun for some time, but the events in Ferguson, a town that borders his community of Florissant and shares a school district with its neighbor, were the decisive factor.

"Everyone else has one," he said. "I figured I?d better too."

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(FERGUSON, Mo.) -- A lawyer for the family of the black 18-year-old fatally shot by a white police officer said Sunday the grand jury process playing out in Missouri is unlike anything he's seen before and is unfair.

The St. Louis County prosecuting attorney, Robert McCulloch, has said that, unlike with a typical grand jury, he would present to this grand jury all the evidence gathered in the police investigation and offer the jurors the opportunity to hear from any witness with relevant information.

The target of the investigation, Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson, was among those who testified.

A spokesman for McCulloch has indicated that the prosecutor's office will not likely make a specific recommendation about charges, but would give the grand jurors a range of charges to consider, from involuntary manslaughter up to first-degree murder.

The grand jury investigating the killing of Michael Brown by Wilson is not meeting this weekend and will reconvene Monday, sources told ABC News.

"When you think about it, if this prosecutor is saying we're just going to be fair, we're not going to recommend any charges, that's different from anything he's done in his past 28 years with grand juries," attorney Benjamin Crump said Sunday on This Week.

"So, now are we going to say he was unfair to all those people and he's going to be extra fair, get a police extra rights?" said Crump, who also represented the family of Trayvon Martin. " Why can't it be equal justice?"

ABC News chief legal affairs anchor Dan Abrams said there is precedent for prosecutors presenting cases to grand juries without recommending charges, particularly high profile, controversial cases.

"I'm not going to dispute with you on the facts, but let's talk about the process and the law, which is that there are a lot of high profile cases, and I've seen them, where prosecutors say, 'You know what, I'm going to hand this one to the grand jury. I want the political cover on this one. I want to let them decide so I'm not the one who takes the heat on this decision,'" he said.

"So it is not sort of out of left field that in a high profile case a prosecutor hands it off to a grand jury to make that decision," he said.

Speculation that a decision on whether to indict Wilson in the shooting was coming soon has increased tensions in a town that already was on edge.

Federal, state and county officials have been ramping up their readiness in case there is a fresh wave of angry and, at times, violent protests over the jury's decision. Protesters have been demanding that Wilson be charged with murder for the Aug. 9 shooting of Brown.

The Saint Louis County Police Department switched their officers to 12-hour shifts on Saturday.

Metal and concrete barricades have been erected in areas around the St Louis County government buildings in Clayton, where the grand jury has been meeting. The justice center there also houses the prosecutor's office, the St. Louis County Police Department headquarters and the circuit courts.

Preparations are being made there for specific areas for anticipated protests.

There also appeared to be some minor increase in activity behind the strip mall in Jennings, the town next to Ferguson, where the Unified Command will be operating once they are notified a decision has been reached.

Many stores have boarded up their windows for fear of destructive protesters. The manager of Beauty Town Plus, a salon on West Florissant Avenue where much of the protests centered during the summer, told ABC News that they decided to board up because their windows were broken three times following Brown's death.

Law enforcement have taken the threat of violence seriously as well as two federal officials confirmed to ABC News that more than 100 FBI personnel are being sent to the St. Louis area to join those already in the area and opened an intelligence center to head up operations.

On Friday, federal authorities in Missouri charged two men with lying on forms to purchase guns ahead of the grand jury decision.

Olajuwon Davis and Brandon Baldwin faced only those charges as of late Friday, but sources told ABC News that authorities were looking into whether they tried to acquire ready-made explosives and other weapons ahead of the decision, which is expected soon.

The two men are suspected of being associated with the New Black Panther party, said sources briefed on the arrests. The charges that were filed were intended to "take them out of the rotation," according to one source.

Both Attorney General Eric Holder and Michael Brown Sr., the slain teenager's father, have released videos urging protesters to remain peaceful when the grand jury's decision is handed up.

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Attorney General Eric Holder's star witness in the allegedly racist police shooting of a black St. Louis teen is a hoodlum with a history of making false statements to police.
Dorian Johnson, 22, the main source of the media's racist cop narrative, has lost all credibility.

"Me and my friend was walking down the street, wasn't causing any harm to nobody," he said, when Officer Darren Wilson pulled up in his patrol car and "reached his arm out the window and grabbed my friend around his neck. ... (He) was trying to choke my friend."
He claimed Brown broke loose and started to run away when Wilson shot him from behind, then finished him off at close range, execution style.
His chillingly vivid account spurred nationwide protests, including the looting and torching of dozens of businesses. Civil rights leaders embraced Johnson. So did Holder.
But then, piece by piece, his story started to fall apart.
First came the release of a video from a liquor store surveillance camera showing Johnson involved in a robbery with Brown just moments before the shooting. A police report ID'd Johnson as a suspect (though charges were mysteriously dropped as federal authorities stepped in to investigate the case).
Then came the family autopsy showing Brown was not, in fact, shot from behind.