Posted on 08/29/2006 1:39:25 PM PDT by abb
The Durham cab driver who has surfaced as an alibi witness in the Duke lacrosse rape case today was found not guilty of a 3-year-old shoplifting charge.
Moezeldin Elmostafa is expected to provide an alibi for Reade Seligmann, one of three Duke lacrosse players indicted in the rape case, because he gave Seligmann a ride after the party that led to the rape allegations.
After authorities learned of Elmostafa's potential role in the rape case, they found an unserved warrant naming him in a 2003 shoplifting case at a Hecht’s department store at Northgate Mall in Durham. A security officer for the store testified today in district court that he saw a woman steal handbags from the store and then jump into Elmostafa’s cab, which sped away.
The security officer testified that the cab pulled away even before the woman had closed to the door. A store surveillance tape, played in court, appeared to show that the door closed first.
Defense lawyers in the lacrosse rape case have said that Elmostafa was charged because he is a favorable witness to the defense. Loflin put one of the lacrosse investigators on the witness stand this morning and produced typed notes from the lacrosse case that show District Attorney Mike Nifong wanted to be informed when Elmostafa was arrested.
Assistant District Attorney Ashley Cannon told the judge the shoplifting case has nothing to do with the rape case.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsobserver.com ...
So, you are saying Elmo's attorneys subpoenaed them to be there - and then stood up twice in the courtroom and said to the Judge - WHY ARE THEY HERE? WHY ARE THEY HERE?
It was on the 6:00 am news today. ELMO's attorneys refuted the ADA assertion that this case has nothing to do with the Duke case by asking the Judge - why the detectives were there.
I believe he was referring to Clayton and Linwood. We know why Himan was there.
The assertion by the ADA that Elmo's case had nothing to do with the LAX case is laughable. I think the judge pretty much ignored the whole thing, dismissing the charges because the only physical evidence (the tape) was exculpatory. What a waste of time and transparently vindictive. If this case goes to trial, add witness intimidation to the long list of Nifong buffoonery to come out during testimony.
Before this is over, Nifong will end up on a defense witness list on the prosecutorial misconduct defense.
I found something on it in the paper:
(Linwood) "Wilson said HE ASKED the investigators to be in the courtroom since Loflin's motions mentioned them."
""Why are they here? Supposedly they know zero about Hecht's, so why are they here?" Loflin said"
WHO does Linwood work for?
Forgot the link: http://www.newsobserver.com/141/story/480475.html
And the papers and the media totally ignored the fact that this charge (misdemeanor aiding and abetting larceny) is as rare as a Polar Bear in Durham.
I looked through a bunch of scheduled cases - and only found it a couple times out of hundreds - and in those cases the defendant also had principal charges against them for other crimes. Like it was used when the had a FELON and they threw the book at him.
I could not find it as a stand alone charge.
Oh, I hope you have read the N&O editor blogs - they are a hoot. A bunch of poster have been raking the paper over the coals for the biased headline a few weeks ago: "Two Duke lacrosse DNA tests are positive" They complain that there is an implication of guilt - the DNA evidence that Nifong promised early on in the game - a match to the players.
Of course, it turned out to be that some of the DNA of the players was found in their own house. Not on the AV, or in any incriminating fashion, just that they must have played with themselves sometime the last few weeks.
Anyway the editor is playing Mickey the Dunce about the headline complaints - she says she doesn't see anything wrong - it looks like a perfectly good headline to her, and the charming - would you explain to me again just what is wrong with that headline?
It is sad, sad, sad. Anyway, read it for some laughs. The repeated obtuse "I don't see anything wrong with that" will just crack you up. That's her story, and she's sticking to it.
Ok, then I guess Nifong has once again sunk even lower than I could imagine.
Fido,
To your point, if you look in the most read stories list, in the last 7 days, the - "2 Duke Lacrosse players DNA test positive" has been there forever.
Now, with the blogs and people interested in this case, wouldn't you think the story on the verdict in the Cab driver's case would be on the list? It's not.
It's not even on the MOST Poplular stores in the last 24 hours - which is totally unbelievable with the National interest and the lack of coverage by the National Media.
I agree with you.
Only one paper mentioned it. No national coverage.
thanks.
He is a stupid, stupid man.
JLS,
This points out another contradition on the part of the DA / DPD.
"Linwood) Wilson said he asked the investigators to be in the courtroom since Loflin's MOTIONS mentioned them."
Why is Linwood Wilson, who runs the worthless check program, reading MOTIONS on misdemeanor aiding and abetting shoplifting cases?
Judging from the recent revelations, we may be on the verge of this case breaking loose. Nifong's lies and the DPD shenanigans are starting to catch up to them. The cabbie is but the first step. If the tox report is true (and we have no reason to beleive it is not), Nifong will have to start explaining himself in court for his myriad misrepresentations and deceptions by putting himself in the position of a percipient witness. He already is at risk for tesifying at supression hearing for hte ID since he directed that fiasco. Taylore also mentioend in his article that Gottlieb had a reputation for rousting Duke students and putting them in cells for trivial offenses with violent offenders. That is pretty easily documented. As Freepers well know, the list of digusting lies and brass knuckled tactics go on and on. We have still not gotten to the bottom of why.
Methinks a major scandal regarding corruption and prejudice is about to erupt.
Terry Mangum ????????
Yeah, I saw that. He's RETIRED too.
I would think they'd be able to find someone active to endorse him.
Gottlieb was (or is) an officer in the union - but that wouldn't look good.
Um . . any relation to the FA?
I don't know. I know some of the detectives on the board noted that name earlier. It's hard to pin down relatives unless someone admits it.
I notice that in the primary there was a Duke law professor listed who endorsed Nifong, too.
I emailed him and asked him if he didn't think he had some responsibility now to speak up in the lacrosse case.
Of course, being a Duke law professor, he didn't respond.
(Probably busy contemplating the finer points of the law...)
| District | MASSEY,ALMERIA,LAVONNE | 09/01/1981 | 10/23/2006 | 0006 | AM | 2006IF704447 | E607651 |
| District | MASSEY,CRYSTAL,GAIL | 02/28/1977 | 09/07/2006 | 0006 | AM | 2006CR702812 | E487009 |
| District | MASSEY,MILES,JEFFERY | 07/28/1971 | 09/29/2006 | 0006 | AM | 2006CR704153 | E594493 |
Durham District Court
Could Jonathan Massey be related to any of the above?
THe reason I ask is that every time I dismiss a connection as too far fetched, it invariably turns out to be much worse than we thought (e.g. the cabbie story, Nifong's lies, Nifong's racially inflammatory language and subsequent endorsements in the primary, the interference by the City Manager, etc.) Frankly, at this point no one should be surprised if the DPD and Nifong are closing ranks around a relative of a retired police captain. This case has achieved mind-boggling proportions.
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