Duke Lacrosse 60 Minutes Broadcast (Live Thread)

CBS News ^ | 10/15/2006 | Locomotive Breath

[Locomotive Breath]

(CBS) The three Duke lacrosse players indicted for a rape they say they didn't commit are indignant over the effect the charges are having on their lives and their families.

In their first interviews, they speak to Ed Bradley this Sunday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

[Locomotive Breath]

Nifong will drop the charges only if someone makes him. And apparently no one has the legal authority to do so except the voters of Durham. I think the biggest impact of this story with be at the polls. There's a certain brand of lefty for whom 60 Minutes is gospel and they might just believe Ed B. over Mike N.

[VRWCtaz]

"Oh, I would hope it would be in criminal court. But with Nifrong at the defense table."

I like the way you think.

[JBird77777]

Reducing this case to its bare essentials, it appears that the only items of evidence supporting the AV's rape claim are the following.

1. The AV and the defendants were present at the house that evening for at least a few minutes simultaneously.
2. The medical exam of the AV indicated that the AV recently had sex.

Leaving aside all of the exculpatory evidence, does applicable law allow for trial and possible conviction based on nothing more than the AV's accusation and the above evidence?

If so, it seems the law should be changed.

If not, then the defendants should be able to get the case dismissed.

[VRWCtaz]

Your post is too concise and logical. Did you forget we're talking about the CJS? /s

[darbymcgill]

Leaving aside all of the exculpatory evidence, does applicable law allow for trial and possible conviction based on nothing more than the AV's accusation and the above evidence?

Over the months here, from what I recall of our legal beagles and I think even Nifong mentioned all he needs in NC is an accuser with a claim of rape and an ID.

That's it.

Just what RS was referring to... His whole life changed because someone simply pointed a finger...

[VRWCtaz]

"His whole life changed because someone simply pointed a finger..."

The only thing more despicable than a rape is for the victim to be a child. That said, men's vulnerability to a false accusation terrifies me.

[jennyd]

What was she lying about? She even admitted she was the first one to use racial slur. And they were apart two times, it's obvious from her police report.
First time when Kim left to the car but Precious stayed in the house. And second time when Precious went back to the house to get her shoe, although I don't think she ever made it inside.

[darbymcgill]

What was she lying about?

In your opinion, how many trips did Kim make into the house?

[jennyd]

Kim did go back into the house, after Precious was taken to the car (the second time), to look for Precious's things.
Maybe that's what Bradley meant by "they both went back into the house." I really wouldn't know, as this part must have been so heavily edited, but Kim never said personally in her own words that both of them went back to the house again and together after Precious returned to the car.
No, I do not think both Kim and Precious returned back to the house after Precious came back to the car, but then CBS did not show Kim saying they did, together, so I can't call that a lie as they never showed her saying it.

[darbymcgill]

She even admitted she was the first one to use racial slur

That's not how it sounds here

[darbymcgill]

Kim did go back into the house, after Precious was taken to the car (the second time), to look for Precious's things.

Ok, so how does that jibe with what she told Juan...

WILLIAMS: Roberts says the other dancer soon joined her in the car. Some men came out to demand a refund because the women had danced for fewer than five minutes. She says the men also made racist comments. Roberts says the other dancer got out of the car and went back inside to get a purse. Roberts nervously waited in the car, chain smoking. She's unsure how much time passed. Roberts went back into the house to look for the other woman, but didn't see her. It's during this time that the rape allegedly occurred. When she returned to the car, someone yelled that the other dancer was passed out on the porch. Roberts asked the men to help woman get to the car.

[jennyd]

It jives just fine, because Robert's trip to the house was after Precious was already deposited into the car. That is according to her police report. Roberts went into the house to look for Precious's things.

[darbymcgill]

It jives just fine, because Robert's trip to the house was after Precious was already deposited into the car.

Didn't she tell Juan she went back in the house to look for Precious and couldn't find her. Why would she go look for her if she was in her car?

[jennyd]

And of course in those interviews Kim was saying all kinds of things that are different from her police report. I am actually only considering her police report to be truthful.
I wish I knew what she actually told Bradley about them going to the house the second time, because it appears obvious they did not go back together. First Precious went, tried to get inside, passed out on the stairs, then was deposited in Kim's car. After which, Kim went, to look for Precious things.
If Kim said to Bradley they both went together, then it clearly contradicts her police report. However, CBS never showed what exactly she told Bradley, so I have no idea if what she told him differs from the police report.

[jennyd]

I don't believe that she went back into the house to look for Precious while Precious was in the house but couldn't find her.
That's actually very funny. It's a small house-how would she not find her? She didn't tell the same thing to Bradley. Well, actually we have no clue what she told Bradley. That's the problem with 60 Minutes. They don't' have enough time, so it's edited, and of course they edited out what Kim told Bradley about the second trip to the house. If she told him that her and Precious went back together, then clearly it's different from the police report. If she didn't, then Bradley might be confused for whatever reason.

[darbymcgill]

Ok we can agree to disagree about what I consider lies about how many times she went into the house..

How about the broom scare?

And being called a n....r when she was leaving? Remember? "it echoed"...

Do those pass the smell test?

[writmeister]

But it nonetheless didn't establish that the prosecution should drop the case immediately, said Kevin Troy, a member and sometime spokesman for Duke Student Government who participated in the post-show roundtable. "One could come away from watching this segment, view it in a vacuum and see it as clearly [saying] the state's case is incorrect," Troy said. "It shows us not that the players have been exonerated, it shows us that we need to let the judicial process play itself out. It shows us judgments early on were premature about guilt, but it would be premature to declare them innocent.

A proud moment for Kevin's parents. All that money spent on his education. Yet, he is unfamiliar with the presumption of innocence.

[jennyd]

Players do admit somebody said something to Kim regarding the broom. They even gave police the guy's name.
As for the n-word, I haven't an idea if somebody told it to her or not. Some racial slurs were used, even Bissey heard something. Kim admitted she was the first one to use racial slurs, and player used them in response. She actually went far from "we were scared little girls" routine in her 60 Minutes interview. Could have been a lot worse, don't you think?

[jennyd]

Why do you think HS selected him for their "round table?". LOL.

[darbymcgill]

Could have been a lot worse, don't you think?

I agree 100%..

The way she said in her sing songy voice "That's when the said the n-word sing... song"... kinda pegged my BS meter. But.. maybe that's just me.

But the statement she made about the toys question. "it didn't bother me at all... o yeah that would have been a great way to pass the time". To "I was scared and intimidated", about the broom comment.. Then it was, "I really wasn't scared that they would use the broom on me, I was scared of what else the might say!!!!".... Double peg on the BS meter...

I ain't buying the broom comment is why she left. She didn't want to get stuck with a stumbling, bumbling, falling down drunk for 2 more hours... so she bailed...