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.

[Locomotive Breath]

OK - didn't see the :)
Now voting for ironic.

[JLS]

Your hypothetical sure makes the most since of the mystery poster, kisses and hugs.

[Locomotive Breath]

I wish I knew of a way to get a Mangum family tree. We need an agent at Durham's Hillside High to get us a yearbook from about 10 years ago. If they're both in there with the right age then we have a winner.

[GAgal]

"A Perfect Storm.."

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/lacrosse/2006-04-26-duke-perfect-storm_x.htm?POE=SPOISVA

The top picture of the "Apostle" John Bennett and his flock in front of the party house shows his motivation for encouraging Sharpton to keep away.

[maggief]

... Interesting fact I read on a NJ message board--rumor was CGM had danced earler at a Black Fraternity. Didn't link it until I saw this convo...

I didn't realize that the strippers were from two differenct escort services, (Bunny Hole? and Alure).

http://www.newsobserver.com/680/story/424128.html
Published: Apr 01, 2006

On March 13, two women were hired to dance at the team party, each from a different escort service, according to Durham police spokeswoman Kammie Michael. Police will not say which service the accuser worked for, but she said the other woman worked for a company called Allure.

[toldyou]

Duke Student Accosted by Durham Policeman
Duke New Sense Exclusive

DNS has obtained a letter describing an incident early Friday morning (April 21) during the annual Senior Pub Crawl. The writer, a Trinity College senior, describes verbal and physical threats he experienced without cause (other than being a Duke student) from a Durham Policeman The letter below was sent to Sue Wasiolek, the University's Dean of Students:

"Tonight, on April 21, at 2:15 am, I was the victim of a verbal assault and threats from a member of Durham police. As I was waiting for my cab to leave the senior pub crawl from satisfactions, a member or the Durham police, probably in his late 20's, with short redish/blonde hair, about 6'2", called me over with his flashlight. Granted, the group I was with had been talking about why there were so many police cars parked in the middle of thestreet, solely trying to bust duke kids, and maybe that drew attention to us, but I was called out of the group and surrounded by 3 officers.

The individual I described immediately said "I hope you know I will beat the shit out of you." I continued to listen. "I hope you know you are a dumbass, and you better apologize, else I'll beat the shit out of you and then take you to jail." Of course, I apologize for doing nothing, and again the officer states "if you aren't out of here in the next 15 seconds, I'm gonna beat the shit out of you, then take you to jail." I quickly got into a cab and left.

Call me crazy, but I felt this was a little out of sorts. I could identify this guy no problem if need be. I felt this should be brought to your attention, I talked to my attorney, and he suggested I let people know about this incident. Pub crawl was a great event, and my night was soiled by the attitude and aggression of one Durham policeman.

I know this may be one isolated incident, but I don't think it is. I have no idea why I was singled out, threatened, and treated in such a way. Something has to be done. This city wants nothing more than to crucify more Duke students, and I will not stand for my peers, or myself, to bethe next victim."

Town-gown relations between Durham and Duke have now officially reached an all-time low.

[Carling]

CGM worked at Bunnyhole in the past. This info, if true, would blow up the "first time" bullpucky that we were hearing a few weeks ago.

This is interesting. I had thought the CGM was working for Allure at the time of the Duke party.

The question, then, is this; what happened between 8pm and 11:45pm? Where was she? Are the rumors of another performance true? Or was she partying as an individual and then had to leave to fulfill her Bunnyhole obligations?

We really need to start working "Bunnyhole obligations" into more of these posts. :)

[connectthedots]

Nifong said plea deals must remain a fact of life, since Durham takes in 70,000 criminal cases a year at all court levels, while time and personnel restraints allow only 50 to 70 felonies to be tried annually."

If one is smart, and not a defendant in one of the 50-70 most severe crimes; there are numerous ways to avoid liability for a less serious crime. If you are not guilty of what's charged, one can make life so difficult for the assigned prosecutor, they will figure out real quick that you "just aren't worth the effort." Just don't expect your attorney to tell you haow to accomplish this.

[maggief]

Must be rental property. :)

[Locomotive Breath]

So is the point that any DNA found underneath CGM's fingernails would match that of someone at frat Alpha Phi Alpha at NCCU? And could her "injuries consistent with" also have come from encounters there earlier in the evening?

[TexKat]

Go here and type in CGM's name and city and state and you get the family (Mom, Pop, etc. names) http://www.veromi.net/Summary.asp?from=vdi000022

[El Gran Salseron]

"The question, then, is this; what happened between 8pm and 11:45pm? Where was she?"

She took her children to the convenience store to buy them candy and soda. Didn't you read the father's statement? /sarc

[maggief]

I'll go back to this interview ...


ZAHN: Jason Carroll, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

Just a bit earlier on, I spoke with Joe Cheshire, the attorney representing one of the Duke lacrosse players.

(snip)

CHESHIRE: Paula, well, first of all, let me say this for a living -- let me say this about what this woman does for a living.

Anybody that knows what she does for a living and the reality of what she does for a living knows that she could have received those injuries any time before 12:00 that evening. Now, as -- as this trial goes on, we will be able to discover exactly where she is. But the fact that she may have had sex with somebody after 6:00 or before 6:00 would mean, if she went to the hospital, they would show that she had -- quote -- "injuries," which is a word I don't like, but a medical condition, or things in her body, consistent with the fact that she may have had sex with somebody.

(snip)

CHESHIRE: Well, I'm -- I'm not going to say or share what we know about her. Obviously, we have done a lot of work on her.

And, when someone makes an accusation, that accusation has to stand up to the actual physical facts of what happened. First of all, hers will not stand up to the actual physical facts.

Secondly, you pointed out that they need to have no motivation to lie. I believe that the lawyers in this case will be able to show, on cross-examination and on the presentation of evidence, that she did have a motive to lie.


http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/17/pzn.01.html

[maggief]

Good find, TK!

[A CA Guy]

He can squeeze the kids all he wants to at his own expense, all he his doing is setting himself and his local government for a huge lawsuit for selective prosecution.

[xoxoxox]

Buchanan Blvd.

Trinity Avenue.

Duke Street.

Durham Freeway.

Fayetteville Street.

Cornwallis Road.

[Dukie07]

"Must be rental property. :)"
It is. Or did you know that, hence the :)?

[Dukie07]

Perhaps I should have said, the Mangum's do not own the property.

[Locomotive Breath]

So you looked up a series of streets running from 610 N. Buchanan Blvd to 2111 Charles St. in Durham.

BFD