Sure on your "cut off her finger" comment, but do you think things have changed with Nifong or Mangum?
I think one of two things is going on:
1. Mangum is being bullied by Nifong to testify. He is threatening her with charges or if she is still on probation revocation. Mangum certainly tried to make this allegation go away after it served her purpose and got her out of involuntary commitment. She refused ID anyone time after time.
2. Mangum has recalculated and decide, after her early attempts to have this allegation go away, that the situation had changed and she benefits by having it continue.
So I think if Mangum wanted to or could back out of this allegation, she would have by now. She either is being compelled by Nifong to continue or she now sees it as benefiting her. I don't see any prospects that that will change short of Nifong losing office.
Probably not, unless he struck a deal with her, perhaps through her attorney, in which he declines to violate her probation or press any charges if she stays mum until after the election. Now, the attorneys wouldn't say all that in precise terms, but lawyers have their own double-speak methods of conveying what they want and reaching an understanding without actually crossing the line.
Nifong has several ways to pressure CGM.
The biggest is her children.
He can intervene for her (or aganist her) with whatever agency in Durham looks out for abused/neglected children.
If he were to ask that her children be taken away, they would probably be gone in a matter of hours-----and CGM knows it.