Ferguson, New York cases draw protests aimed at grand jury decisions

Both Eric Garner and Michael Brown were black American men who died at the hands of white police officers. And in both cases, grand juries have decided not to indict police officers with any crime. With so many feeling that justice has not been done, we're asking if the American grand jury system actually works.

As long as I have a breath in my body, I will fight. He should be here celebrating Christmas, and Thanksgiving, and everything else with his children and his grandchildren, and he can't.Esaw Snipes-Garner, the widow of Eric Garner

The frustrated voices of family members have been joined by thousands of others: in the streets of their home cities, New York and Ferguson, Missouri, and in cities right across the U.S.

Their cases have sparked a national debate about race relations. But the pivotal role that grand juries played in allowing the police officers to walk free has also shed light on this aspect of the justice system -- raising questions about whether the system is broken.

• Niki Kuckes is a Professor of Law at Roger Williams University School of Law.
• Ronald Sullivan is a law professor at Harvard University and the Director of the Harvard Criminal Justice Institute.
• Richard Kelsey is the Assistant Dean for Management and Planning in the School of Law at George Mason University.

On Wednesday night, following the Eric Garner decision in New York, Alicia Keys quietly released a new single. The video includes scenes from Ferguson, Missouri, as well as historical footage from the civil rights movement.

Do you think the grand jury system needs to change?

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This segment was produced by The Current's Shannon Higgins, Ines Colabrese and Leif Zapf-Gilje.