Lacrosse players face old charges (Nifong retaliates against Duke Lax)

News & Observer ^ | April 25, 2006 | Benjamin Niolet and Joseph Neff

[abb]

DURHAM - District Attorney Mike Nifong plans to reinstate misdemeanor charges against a half-dozen Duke lacrosse players, saying a March 13 party where a woman reported a rape broke the deals that the players made with prosecutors.

Nifong's decision could affect players who, before the party, had entered agreements in which prosecutors would dismiss the cases if the players performed community service and stayed out of trouble for six months or a year. Among the first to have his charges reinstated was David Evans, one of the team captains who lived at 610 N. Buchanan Blvd., the site of the party in which lacrosse players hired two women from escort services to dance. One of the women told police that she was raped by three men in a bathroom.

Two players, Collin Finnerty, 19, and Reade William Seligmann, 20, were charged last week with first-degree rape, first-degree sex offense and first-degree kidnapping. Their attorneys say the men are innocent.

On Monday, an attorney for Seligmann filed a motion seeking information that would help attack the credibility of the woman, the only person, according to the defense filing, who says a rape occurred. The motion seeks information about the woman, including criminal charges, mental and emotional problems the woman has suffered as well as social services, probation, child protective services and victim's advocacy records.

Today, Finnerty is due in a Washington court where prosecutors in an assault charge are considering whether to revoke a deferred prosecution agreement similar to those affecting other players in Durham.

According to court records, 16 players were charged in the past three years with misdemeanor charges in Durham including noise violations, public urination and alcohol violations. The deals placed the men on probation for either six months or a year.

[onyx]

Deserves a thread of its own!

[Neverforget01]

this was a setup fromt the getgo

I'm not sure. I think it's more likely that CGM was looking for a way out of a public drunkenness charge..But I don't know.

[twigs]

I remember that. That was in the year or two after my experience.

[maggief]

:)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1621010/posts

[abb]

When I say setup, I mean once the decision was made to holler "rape" for whatever reason (your's is quite plausible), then the race pimp industry took it over and drove the train. Notice it took several days before everything to hit the networks and newspapers. That's the "setup" I'm talking about. They thought the Lax families would fold instead of calling the bluff. Follow the money always...

[onyx]

LOL --- still sipping my first Diet Coke --- not awake yet. Howlin and I were here LATE last night.

POTUS is LIVE on FNC.

[Locomotive Breath]

I'm looking at it a little differently. I don't think this was a premeditated extortion scheme. If that were the case they would have made sure to have sex with at least one of the lax team. Mangum and Roberts are stupid but not so stupid as to create the weak case they now have.

I think Manugm cried rape to avoid being charged by the cops for substance abuse. Maybe she didn't want to go back to the mental hospital. I'm recalling they first took her to a psych outfit (Durham Access?) and only there did she cry rape which got her transferred to Duke Medical Center. (Did we conclude that here a couple of weeks ago? Can't remember.) Maybe another run-in with the cops would have had her children taken away from her and crying rape got her out of that. (I hope child protective services is on her case. If not, what the heck are they good for). Maybe she was worried about her pimp beating her up for an unsuccessful business transaction. No mater her motivations, crying rape gets her off of accusations from anyone and makes her the victim. She thought that she could just simply quietly recant later but she didn't count on Nifong jumping all over it in public. Any motivation for money from Mangum came later and probably came from her family because they believe her. I think Mangum would check out now if she could but it's become too big a deal and she's stuck.

If you look at what the defense asked for yesterday this fits. Among other things, I think the defense is looking for her to have a motivation for a false accusation of rape.

I think Roberts behavior on the night in question indicates that she wanted nothing to do with any of it. We now know she was violating the terms of her parole and the last thing she wanted to do was run into the police. Notice that her 911 call was to bust the chops of the lax team and was made anonymously and specifically said that she herself didn't need the cops. Then she finds she's got the psychotic Mangum in her car and Mangum won't get out. So Roberts tries to dump Mangum on the Kroger guard and get away. Unfortunately, the Kroger guard calls the cops and Roberts is into it up to her eyeballs and gets busted for parole violation. Roberts figures that she's paid whatever price she's going to pay and 1) wants revenge and 2) to cash in.

IMHO

[Neverforget01]

Notice it took several days before everything to hit the networks and newspapers

I'm with you. I think it took the AV 31 hours to remember the "details". I'm afraid the AV picked the wrong "marks" for her scam. She's in way over her head.

[maggief]

Did I count right ... 15 names?

Of those, two not guilty
one dismissed, citation error
three dismissed, completed deferred prosecution

Of the remaining nine, how many were at the party?

[snarkytart]

When I say setup, I mean once the decision was made to holler "rape" for whatever reason (your's is quite plausible), then the race pimp industry took it over and drove the train. Notice it took several days before everything to hit the networks and newspapers. That's the "setup" I'm talking about. They thought the Lax families would fold instead of calling the bluff. Follow the money always...
_____________

Agreed. I think it turned into a get rich quick scheme. That is why the accuser's family and friends keep pushing her to hang on and not give in.

[Neverforget01]

I noticed a name not on the list : Ryan McFayden

[snarkytart]

When I say setup, I mean once the decision was made to holler "rape" for whatever reason (your's is quite plausible), then the race pimp industry took it over and drove the train. Notice it took several days before everything to hit the networks and newspapers. That's the "setup" I'm talking about. They thought the Lax families would fold instead of calling the bluff. Follow the money always...
_____________

Agreed. I think it turned into a get rich quick scheme. That is why the accuser's family and friends keep pushing her to hang on and not give in.

[maggief]

That would number sixteen.

(He's already been suspended from Duke.)

Do you recall his prior arrest?

[Neverforget01]

Actually, that's why I mentioned him. Apparently he's never been arrested; perhaps that's why he's not #3? FYI two more Delbarton kids on the list.

[AnnaZ]

Can I please have a title and/or link to that Sowell column?

[Mike Darancette]

Nifong's decision could affect players who, before the party, had entered agreements in which prosecutors would dismiss the cases if the players performed community service and stayed out of trouble for six months or a year.

Profiling, 2-3 white boys may have done something, blame all white boys.

[El Gran Salseron]

What happened to "innocent until proved guilty?"

[El Gran Salseron]

Worth repeating.....

"Maybe the village should be burned down in order to burn it down."

[sissyjane]

Good Morning. Hope everyone is well!

Don't you people sleep?? I just woke up.
It's almost 8:00 out here in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains of California, and we might see the sun today.

[TommyDale]

North Carolina is fairly loose with the rules. I was once threatened with a lawsuit, and the 'plaintiff' had a lawyer send me a letter threatening to sue for a large sum ($3 million) but said that "if I gave them $400,000 right now", they would go away. I reported this as an extortion attempt, and the police told me that lawyers can do this. Unbelievable.