It's Time for Justice: Drop the charges vs. Duke lacrosse players

Thanks! Just call me clueless in Colorado!

Tin Soldiers and Nifong coming....

I am not well versed in the property sales in Trinity Park.
Was this a dealmaker for the property sales or had Duke been planning on this all along?

I guess need to do some homework at the deed database.

They have some big asses to cover.

I do think that there is a very good chance Nifong will lose the election.
1) He barely won the primary when only dems could vote. There were a lot of frustrated Repubs back in May.
2) RS's alibi had been revealed only the day before the primary: the truth was only beginning to come out.
3) Since May, facts have been pouring out regarding this case. All of here are experts on it as are many others as a result of the relentless pursuit of the truth by blogs. It is now clear that procsecutorial abuse has been occurring in Durham.

Welcome back - you look tanned, rested, and ready to go!

Hot off the press from KC:

http://durhamwonderland.blogspot.com/2006/10/sunday-notes.html

I do think that there is a very good chance Nifong will lose the election.

I agree that Recall Nifong-Vote Cheek has a shot at victory. Results of the May 2 primary--

Mike Nifong- 11,168 45%
Freda Black- 10,269 42%
Keith Bishop-- 3,288 13%

http://abclocal.go.com/three/wtvd/election/race190.htm

According to the latest voter registration figures, Durham County has 27,070 registered Republicans, 24,566 of whom are white. The county has 86,621 registered Democrats, 46,586 of whom are black. So the demographic bloc supportive of Nifong's behavior formed a majority of the Democratic electorate, while those most likely to be alienated by his tactics couldn't vote in the primary. As the director of the Durham County Board of Elections noted the day after the primary, "We had a lot of irate, irate Republicans who couldn't vote for district attorney."

http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/25357.html

[From TalkLeft posted by sceptical]
Why Are We So Obsessed With This Case? A Literary Analysis
« on: October 19, 2006, 07:02:46 PM »

It is obvious from this Discussion Forum and others (FODU, CTV etc.), and from numerous bloggers (KC Johnson, liestoppers, John in Carolina, The Johnsville News, Crystal Mess etc.), that there are hundreds if not thousands of people obsessed with the Duke Lacrosse team incident of March 13-14.

What is it about this case that has attracted such intense interest (the "60 Minutes" show had the highest ratings since January)?
Here are a few thoughts:

When the allegations of rape were disclosed at the end of March, the plot line was that of a MYSTERY. Had a rape happened? What were the circumstances? What happened at the party? Who were the perpetrators? What was the record on campus of the lacrosse team? Who was the accuser? Information dribbled out, much of it at first damning to the players. This was the context of early comments by Nifong, Brodhead, newspaper writers like Ruth Sheehan. The pot-bangers were out in force.

As more evidence developed (lack of DNA, statements by the principals, medical results, backgound of the accuser), Nifong pressed on despite a questionable case, pandering to the black community. Life sometimes mirrors art, and the proceedings were a cross between "Bonfire of the Vanities" and "I Am Charlotte Simmons," NOVELS by Tom Wolfe, one of the most perceptive authors of modern American culture.

In recent months, the case has been like a SOAP OPERA with Cousin Jakki, ADA Couch, Sgt. Gottlieb, "Elmo," and an unbelieveable cast of characters. There have been surprises, plot twists, changes of heart and an outpouring of public interest fueled by brave bloggers.

But most of all, this incident is a TRAGEDY. No one will "win" this case, no matter what the final outcome. The indicted players and their families have had their reputations smeared and are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bills, let alone the emotional roller-coaster they are going through. The accuser has been and will be dragged through the mud and she and her children face a bleak future. Mike Nifong has become a verb. To "Nifong" someone is to railroad a defendant for political gain.
He faces legal censure and big-time law suits for prosecutorial misconduct. Duke University, most of its faculty, and President Brodhead abandoned their students and have given a new face to expediency. Durham has been unfairly portrayed on a national scale, despite its many problems. And the North Carolina legal system has been held up to scrutiny for its glacier-like case management system and especially for allowing sexual assault cases to go forward with only the word of an accuser.

Mystery, soap opera, novel , tragedy-- with underlying themes of racism. class differences, and male-female relationships. What a mish-mash!

But, most of all a study of INJUSTICE. I believe many who follow the Duke case, while cynical, have an idealistic streak. Justice is one of the most basic American values. The facts of this case insult justice-- indicting before investigating, refusing to consider exculpatory evidence, improper line-ups, misleading and lying public statements by prosecutors, fictional police reports, attempted witness tampering, unwarranted delays in discovery and proceedings, the failure of a university and its faculty to support its students, and I could go on ad infinitum. Those of us who believe in justice have followed each turn of events with increasing dismay and anger. The plot continues to thicken and how it will end is still uncertain, but I know that this tragedy will be the subject of literature for decades to come.

What do you think?

« Last Edit: October 19, 2006, 07:40:54 PM by sceptical »

http://forums.talkleft.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=d04a79c12ca1f61b5238dbcc3f2c4ac6&topic=421.0

* Many of those in Durham still paying attention to this case now view it as a sad COMEDY, in order to
retain any sense of balance. A very long one for sure, and by all indications destined to play out until the
maximum pain is extracted by the increasing number of interests looking for their cut of Duke's riches.

We remind ourselves however that beneath the mountain of rhetoric and discovery, there remains to date
only one piece of hard evidence that any crimes were committed.

And it then becomes funny that the DPD has 'lost' the 911 and radio back-channel tapes, yet the most
important excerpts remain forever archived on the internet. Let us hope that Duke has taken better care
of its own pertinent records.

** Re: Trinity Park house sales: Landlord Solie tried to unload these properties for awhile (sell at the
market top as they say). Funny how this all came down ONE MONTH after the package deal was made.

*** Further comedic value- A Split Opposition Vote!

Here's a bit of Duke football trivia for you

The Durham Rose Bowl, 1942

"I do think that there is a very good chance Nifong will lose the election"

But remember that Durham as straight-ticket voting (you can select a choice that means you vote for ALL the democrats or for ALL the republicans on the ballot).

Thanks for posting that! I thought I remembered that the margin was about 880 votes. It could definitely be different in Nov!

That is true but there was a discussion here last week about the ballot. IIRC, you can vote the Dem ticket but if you color the bubble next to Cheek, his vote counts. Correct me if I'm wrong. (I'll also see if I can find the thread.)

Here's the link (it was from the 60 minutes discussion thread last week): They are both "write in" because they did not receive the nomination of their respective parties. Because Cheek got enough signatures, his name is actually printed as a choice on the ballot as UNA (unaffiliated?) while Monks name, because he got some but not enough signatures, is validated to be literally written into the blank space provided on the ballot (as opposed to someone writing in Donald Duck, etc.) Sample Ballot (pdf file) Nifong is part of a straight ticket vote. Most of the straight ticket votes are DEM unopposed. I would expect the Repubs to be paying enough attention to vote for the one REP candidate and then vote separately for DA. But will they just "check Cheek" (there's a campaign slogan) or remember to write down "M-O-N-K-S" and check that box. Alternately, are the Dems who don't like Nifong (let's pray there are some) willing to separately check off the 5 DEM candidates in order to mark Cheek (I assume they won't vote for Monks).

I was wrong about coloring in the bubble- voters DO have to check off each candidate separately to vote for Cheek. Repubs can do it very easily so if enough Dems get the picture, it will happen. BTW, this was posted by Locomotive Breath.

This is from the sample ballot (pdf file): c. You may also vote a split ticket by filling in the oval next to the party and then filling in the oval next to the name of any candidate you choose of a different party.

I would interpret that to read that I can vote straight Dem (fill in the bubble next to the party name) but still fill in the bubble for Cheek. So maybe I was right after all.

If you're interested the sample ballot is available here:

http://www.co.durham.nc.us/departments/elec/2006_Election/Ballots/General/6GNCDURHBallotStyle1.pdf

** Re: Trinity Park house sales: Landlord Solie tried to unload these properties for awhile (sell at the
market top as they say). Funny how this all came down ONE MONTH after the package deal was made.

Thank you very much...

Committee switches support to Nifong

BY BRIANNE DOPART : The Herald-Sun
Oct 21, 2006 : 10:34 pm ET

DURHAM -- The Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People switched its allegiance to Assistant District Attorney Mike Nifong in the November election.

The DA's race has probably been the year's most-watched political contest due to the controversial prosecution of white members of the Duke University lacrosse team on allegations they raped a black exotic dancer.

The Committee had previously endorsed Keith Bishop, who came in third in the May primary behind Nifong and former Assistant District Attorney Freda Black.

Nifong, a Democrat, faces City Councilman Lewis Cheek, whose name is on the ballot, but says he won't serve if elected; as well as Steve Monks, chairman of the Durham County Republican Party, who is running as a write-in candidate.

According to spokeswoman Lavonia Allison, quality-of-life issues were on the minds of the Committee when it made its endorsements. Also, by pushing the Committee's members to vote strictly Democratic, Allison said the group hoped to elect officials concerned with "the least among us as well as the most."

The Committee, which will hold a civil rights-themed mass political rally at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church at 1007 S. Roxboro St. at 6 p.m. today, voted on endorsements put forth by its political committee Saturday morning, Allison said.

In the legislative races, the Committee endorsed incumbent David Price for the U.S. House 4th District race.

The group endorsed all of the unopposed candidates seeking House District seats with the exception of W.A. "Winkie" Wilkins.

Larry Hall won an endorsement for state House District 29, Paul Leubke for District 30, H.M. "Mickey" Michaux for District 31, Bob Atwater for state Senate District 18 and Jeanne Lucas for Senate District 20.

The Committee endorsed unopposed incumbents Worth Hill and Archie Smith for Sheriff and Clerk of Court respectively.

In the nonpartisan races, the group chose almost exclusively incumbent candidates. Sarah Parker received the group's endorsement for State Supreme Court Chief Justice, while Patricia Timmons-Goodson, Mark Martin, Robert Hunter and Linda Stephens won endorsements for State Supreme Court Associate Justice.

Anita Smith, Tracy Hicks Barley, Elaine Bushfan, Craig Brown and Marcia Morey picked up the Committee's endorsements for District 14 District Court judgeships.

Only candidates who appeared in person for interviews with the committee were endorsed, regardless of whether they were running unopposed, Allison said. This year only six candidates didn't schedule interviews, she said.

Individuals looking to meet candidates endorsed by the Committee should attend this evening's rally, Allison said.

Joe Leonard, the executive director and chief operating officer of the Black Leadership Forum, Inc. is scheduled to be keynote speaker. Leonard, who spent four years serving as D.C. Bureau Chief for Rainbow/PUSH Washington, will speak on the rally's theme: "Civil Rights, Social Justice, Education: Action Now."

http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-780778.html

I have my doubts about the election.
I hear they are registering voters at NCCU.

Lots of voters.

Wrong tense. Registration deadline has passed.

"civil rights-themed mass political rally"

Guess the DA is bound to make an appearance at
this one. Wonder if they have ole Jesse lined-up yet?

This is all a continuing 'work-in-progress'.