There is some minor truth to that, but strictly at the investigative stage. If a suspect comes forward and wants to talk to a DA at anytime, any DA or DDA would be an idiot not to take advantage of that, but conversations between a prosecutor are much more likely to occur during the plea stage, after charges have been filed or are about to be filed, and usually with counsel if it's a felony. If it's a crime involving people up the ladder who haven't been caught yet, suspects may offer to give somebody up before they're even charged in order to hide the fact that they were the person who ratted out the big guy. They have to cut that deal with the DDA handling the case. But in the usual Beavis and Butthead type crimes, the prosecutor doesn't have much contact with a defendant until post time unless, again, the suspect seeks out the prosecutor, which is what happened in the Duke case. It's a ridiculous lie for Liefong's little administrative assistant that he sent out to talk for him to blanketly assert that defendants never talk to prosecutors.
The cops are an altogether different matter though, as has been previously explained on here. It's bizarre that these boys were not interviewed after the identifications were made, unless we understand that Liefong simply wanted to press ahead with the case and had good reason to know that no crime had been committed. Avoiding review of exculpatory evidence was the only way he could go forward with the case.
Good points. So the main issue is that LE did not avail themselves of the opportunity to clarify timelines, alibis, etc. Such behavior can only make sense if you have an ironclad case - with video footage, a confession, DNA and impeccable witnesses. Nifong's case is more like a collander!! It is like Custer at the Little Big Horn: Who cares where the Indians are and how many of them are out there!! (Oops, too many metaphors)
Ed Bradley's next piece I hope is going to expose the reasons why Nifong and DPD took this most unusual stance. Another 5 minutes of Prof. Coleman and a summary of the AVs recent activities (with video) should do the trick.
Didn't Nifong take over the investigation, though?
That would mean he would be the one talking to the defendants as lead investigator, wouldn't it? Questioning witnesses, etc.?
He put himself in the position, as I recall.