Posted on 05/15/2006 7:14:12 AM PDT by pissant
DURHAM - A Durham grand jury is scheduled to meet today, and the session could mean new charges in the investigation of a reported rape at a Duke lacrosse team party.
Two of the team's players were indicted in April on charges of first degree rape, first degree sex offense and first degree kidnapping. They are accused of assaulting an escort service dancer in a bathroom of a house at 610 N. Buchanan Blvd. Their lawyers say the men are innocent, and lawyers representing dozens of team members say that no sex or assault occurred at the March 13 party.
But the woman says she was attacked by three men, and Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong said he has been working on bringing charges against a third person.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TODAY? If Nifong decides to submit the case, police investigators and possibly other witnesses will try to convince grand jurors in a secret session that the state has probable cause to bring a case forward. Grand jurors will hear only the prosecution's side of the case. The standard required for a true bill of indictment is far lower than the beyond-a-reasonable-doubt standard required for a conviction.
IF INDICTMENTS ARE ISSUED, WHEN WILL THEY BECOME PUBLIC? On April 17, a judge ordered the indictments in the lacrosse case sealed. The names of the players who were indicted were not released until 5 a.m. the next day when the players surrendered at the Durham County jail. If Nifong again requests that the indictments be sealed, the law allows a judge to keep them secret until the person is arrested or appears in court.
WHEN WILL ALL THE EVIDENCE BE REVEALED? State law requires prosecutors to turn over all of their case files to defense lawyers, but nothing requires the evidence to be turned over to the public. In open court hearings, lawyers often discuss some of the evidence, but the state's case may not be revealed until trial. No trial dates have been set. When a report on the DNA testing is complete, Nifong is required by law to turn it over to all 46 members of the lacrosse team who submitted DNA samples.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The cases against Reade William Seligmann, 20, of Essex Fells, N.J., and Collin Finnerty, 19, of Garden City, N.Y., are moving forward. Finnerty has a court date in June. Seligmann is scheduled to appear in court Thursday. His attorney, Kirk Osborn, has filed a series of motions challenging Nifong's handling of the case and asking a judge to bar the prosecutor from further involvement.
Your post in this thread is off topic.
My god, how misinformed are you about this case?
Even the press admitted that the DA's office leaked the DNA results to them THREE DAYS before they faxed it over to the defense team at 5 p.m. on Friday; that is AGAINST THE LAW in North Carolina.
Yet still you defend him.
"Ahem, she's already given sworn testimony under oath. Twice."
In this case?
your defense is off topic from the facts in the case.
You know it is; you just don't want to admit it.
This is Mangum's SECOND time to bat calling false rape; but this time she's got the entire country watching her.
When the facts come out -- and they will -- how many girls do you think will report a legitimate rape.
Again, I am stunned at your callousness.
If you want to argue that topic there are many threads available.
God Willing the folks on the jury will have more sense.
Certainly you don't think Nifong was dumb enough to get search warrants without a sworn statement, do you?
And her lineup ID HAD to be under oath.
UNDER PENALTY OF LAW.
You should know that drill.
He entered the diversion program voluntarily. He could have entered a not guilty plea in that case from the start.
You're off-topic. Answer the questions
I never read that. Do you have a link?
He's so sure he's got 3, why not go for the 4th? I'm sure he has jsut as much evidence against him.
When is the press going to wake up and ask him WHY he didn't indict the 4th guy. Did he get a "bye?" Parents not rich enough.
But making sport of this Marajade is too much fun!
A link to what?
My guess is they knew #4 wasn't in Durham that day.
She has been givin many links: TexKat for one.
She won't respond directly. it is a tactic
Mort Kondracke said tonight that this could be the biggest miscarriage of justice in this country's history (or something close to that!)
I never read that.
It wasn't covered on Nancy Grace
LOL! I just can't stop myself from dumping on trolls.
So, she identifies #4, who they know was out of town; did bells and whistles not go off right that second?
I mean, if that is true, all 4 boys have alibis. (According to Mort, Finnerty does, too.)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.