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The New York Times is reporting that Justice Department lawyers will recommend that no federal civil rights charges be filed against former Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson who shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown in August.

Some say there is a ray of hope as Eric Holder has the final say on the case. It is believed that he will make the decision on the case before he leaves office and congress votes on the confirmation of  President Barack Obama’s Attorney General nominee, Loretta Lynch.

Hands Up United co-founder Tef Poe joined Roland Martin Thursday on “NewsOne Now” to share his views on the New York Times report via Skype.

“Most of us here organizing on the ground really didn’t have much faith in the DOJ or the federal prosecutors,” said Poe. He added, organizers in Ferguson have met with representatives from the Department of Justice many times and “each time they seem to offer us these things that appear to be patch-ups,” said Poe.

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The rapper/activist told Martin, “I believe that in 2015, the Department of Justice is more a symbolic gesture than an actual gesture to get something done.”

Martin highlighted the high legal standards that have to be met to warrant federal charges being filed in this case. Martin also asked Poe if any Missouri State Representatives or members of the State Senate have “taken up the mantle” of trying to get the law changed to where a special prosecutor is appointed when a police officer is involved in a fatal shooting or someone dies at the hands of law enforcement.

In response Poe said, “No one has decided to champion that mantle.” He continued, “We’ve talked to Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, she has some things organizing but I’m not sure if they are organized around that particular piece of legislation.”

He also stated that as a community they’re using this as a time to educate people about laws, about what the Department of Justice does and what they are capable of doing as well as who are your state senators, what they are able to do and if individuals in the community are capable of making a run for state senate.

Listen to Martin, Tef Poe and the “NewsOne Now” Straight Talk panel (featuring Candice Tolliver Burns, Michelle Hudgins and Paris Dennard) discuss the New York Times report that says DOJ lawyers will recommend that no federal civil rights charges be filled against Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown in the audio clip below.

Be sure to watch “NewsOne Now” with Roland Martin, weekdays at 9 a.m. EST on TV One.

Subscribe to the “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on iTunes.