Posted on 05/15/2006 7:14:12 AM PDT by pissant
DURHAM - A Durham grand jury is scheduled to meet today, and the session could mean new charges in the investigation of a reported rape at a Duke lacrosse team party.
Two of the team's players were indicted in April on charges of first degree rape, first degree sex offense and first degree kidnapping. They are accused of assaulting an escort service dancer in a bathroom of a house at 610 N. Buchanan Blvd. Their lawyers say the men are innocent, and lawyers representing dozens of team members say that no sex or assault occurred at the March 13 party.
But the woman says she was attacked by three men, and Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong said he has been working on bringing charges against a third person.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TODAY? If Nifong decides to submit the case, police investigators and possibly other witnesses will try to convince grand jurors in a secret session that the state has probable cause to bring a case forward. Grand jurors will hear only the prosecution's side of the case. The standard required for a true bill of indictment is far lower than the beyond-a-reasonable-doubt standard required for a conviction.
IF INDICTMENTS ARE ISSUED, WHEN WILL THEY BECOME PUBLIC? On April 17, a judge ordered the indictments in the lacrosse case sealed. The names of the players who were indicted were not released until 5 a.m. the next day when the players surrendered at the Durham County jail. If Nifong again requests that the indictments be sealed, the law allows a judge to keep them secret until the person is arrested or appears in court.
WHEN WILL ALL THE EVIDENCE BE REVEALED? State law requires prosecutors to turn over all of their case files to defense lawyers, but nothing requires the evidence to be turned over to the public. In open court hearings, lawyers often discuss some of the evidence, but the state's case may not be revealed until trial. No trial dates have been set. When a report on the DNA testing is complete, Nifong is required by law to turn it over to all 46 members of the lacrosse team who submitted DNA samples.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The cases against Reade William Seligmann, 20, of Essex Fells, N.J., and Collin Finnerty, 19, of Garden City, N.Y., are moving forward. Finnerty has a court date in June. Seligmann is scheduled to appear in court Thursday. His attorney, Kirk Osborn, has filed a series of motions challenging Nifong's handling of the case and asking a judge to bar the prosecutor from further involvement.
Same charges as the others.
Damn.
Dave Evans is the man acording to MSNBC.
The boys were bored. One of them (and he has long since admitted to saying this) suggested a broom might help their dance be more interesting.
The thing is.. I thought the girls arrived with their boombox and their bag of toys.
At any rate, the dancers felt dissed. And said "this is over, payup". And the two dancers went into the bathroom to change into their "regular" clothes. Kim came out and split. It appears Crystal stayed in the bathroom talking on the phone and doing her nails. Then she too eventually came out. And left the house. This is where the pic of Crystal with one show and smiling on the porch is taken.
Mike Peterson, now in prison, is white though....AND Freda Black helped to put him there.
And wouldn't you know I have a dentist appointment at two! May as well run a tape.... And there will probably be a gazillion posts by the time I get back.
This is so upsetting!!
Chesire's client ,right?
Well, the presser should be an explosion directed at Nifong.
I can't figure out why this 4th ID is glossed over.
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It will not be if this mess every comes to trial.
Dave Evans is also charged with First Degree KIDNAPPING!!!!
Beyond my capability to understand.
Yep.
KIDNAPPING, too!
What in the HELL is going on???
What the He**!!!
Kidnapping???
Kidnapping?
Lord have mercy.
1st degree forceable rape.
1st degree kidnapping
and one other charge.
Evans' DNA is the one that (almost) matched, along with another player.
Dave Evans is also charged with First Degree KIDNAPPING!!!
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As were the other to indicted, I believe.
I'm going to go talk to a shrink.
BRB
I hope Evans has an alibi, and I hope we hear mare about Finnerty's alibi.
Is it too much to hope that Evans is the one who wasn't in Durham?
1st deg rape, 1st deg sexual assault, 1st deg kidnapping. Just heard.
Dan Abrams is up.
Abrams says Nifong has
An ID (90 percent sure)
Oh, Abrams is sayign that she is probably going to say he strangled her!
OMG........this is amazing.
There's less evidence that the Duke boys raped her than that a ham sandwich raped her.
I say indict the ham sandwich.
He doesn't; he was there.
And I'm betting he's the guy who put her in that car.
Oh, Evans is the one she said had a moustache!!!!
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