of due process does it say the very people we trust to do the right thing can take it upon themselves to smear someone in the media?

How did it get from "discussion" to actually leaking to the press? In the Vanity Fair Article, it states that the author was contacted by someone "close?" to the investigation. IMO, this is not that much different than the civil rights violations in the Rodney King case---except the Ramseys were beaten up by leaks and words.