What you say makes sense, but look at this case.
Nothing that has been revealed has swayed the Brown defenders one iota.
They’re angry, and nothing is going to pacify them but rioting in the streets.
Toss in some Leftist anarchists, and you’ve got just the right ingredients for a disaster.
Oh, you’re right.
The issue is not the facts of the case, it’s our tribe against their tribe and we must keep them in their place.
Reminds me forcefully of To Kill a Mockingbird. The trial was not about what happened. It was a bit of theater intended to dramatize the proper relationship between the races. Even the “decent” men on the jury couldn’t get past that to address or probably even recognize the facts.
“Making a statement” about race relations is in each case the important thing. Guilt or innocence of the accused is quite simply irrelevant.