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.
Notice they got another player who has rich parents. I think they got the top three in terms of wealth.
She had a sailor inside her? I thought this was about students.
Do you know why there is no right to a speedy trial in NC?
I wish no harm on the good people of Durham, but maybe Durham needs to be destroyed (figuratively).
Clean it. Burn the trash. Take control.
Agreed, but instead, it's expanding.
Reminds me of an old Navy joke:
Q: What's long and round and full of seamen?
I think you're absolutely right. You don't mess with people's children.
I'm not believing any of this! The stupid media has seen the latest DNA report...why don't they say how many markers were ID'd? Why don't they name the bf? Why won't they INVESTIGATE anything??
Yeah, but at least Javert had the good sense to throw himself off the bridge. ( I just saw the BW production in January.)
Lord, forgive me for the implication...
If that nail alledgedly came off during a struggle with her attacker, then why wasn't the same DNA found under the nails that did not come off
I have wondered the same thing.....re the fingernail in the trash...that DNA evidence is contaminated and was not properly handled by LEO....Evans himself dug it out of the trash can and that could account for his supposed DNA on it..
Reade's high school comprises 4 towns, Essex Fells, Roseland,Fairfield,North Caldwell.
Out of approx. 665 students, only 10 are AA.
This is an extremely segregated (affluent)area of Essex county.
The white and black kids here do not hang out together.
This info comes from the parents of students in that school system, not my personal opinion.
All that being said....
These boys go to school with cute skinny little girls. The mindset of young boys is Brittany Spears, Christina A, and Sports Illustrated models.
Now are you going to tell me, they wanted anything to do with a 27 y.o. chunky 150 lb skanky stripper,no matter if she is black or white?
Yes these kids are privileged and probably a bit snobby from what I can determine, if they are anything like their parents. Being athletes,physically fit, and for the most part wealthy, would have no problem at Duke getting any girl they wanted on campus.
I think the whole stripper idea was one or two guys idea to liven up a party. Remember they asked for white strippers, btw.
I think the guys were ticked off by the quality of the girls that showed up and were bored and then probably started making fun of them, as young boys would do, and FA and Kim got pi$$ed. (speculation)
So.... To believe this happened, you have to think the 19-21 y.o. whole lax team members are psychotic rapists, looking for a thrill from an old (to them) woman!
If this came out wrong and I offended anyone, I apologize, but,the area of NC where i grew up, we all got along and hung out together, and this area of NJ amazes me!
Because with the media it is how good they look on TV. Information is a sidebar now.
Does anyone know if Nifong has children of his own? Hell, does anyone know if there is a woman crazy enough to have married him?
Durham has destroyed itself. Half the people who were running for mayor and city council had police records. What does that say about the city.
I wish no harm on the good people of Durham, but maybe Durham needs to be destroyed (figuratively).
Clean it. Burn the trash. Take control.
I see Durham in the near future renamed Evans, NC.....lol
The ABC article said they had been shown "parts" of the 10 page report. The defense lawyers have indicated that the full report may be missing results, and they will check that when they get the SANE kit/hospital results.
Nifong is so out of his league but is too stooopid to know it. You'd think someone around that courthouse would have a little "Come to Jesus" meeting with him.
Doesn't all the discovery have to be turned over by today?? Read somewhere the Defense had to have it by the fifteenth.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.