Duke rape case set for 2007

Toronto Star ^ | May 19, 2006. 07:02 AM | staff

[Perdogg]

DURHAM, N.C.—One of three Duke University lacrosse players charged with rape wants the case resolved in time for the next school year, his lawyer said in court yesterday. But the judge warned he will not fast-track the proceedings.

The case "is not going to jump ahead of the line and be handled any differently," Superior Court Judge Ronald L. Stephens said at a hearing for sophomore Reade Seligmann.

After the brief hearing, District Attorney Mike Nifong said he does not expect any trial to begin before next year.

[Perdogg]

Ping!

[KarlInOhio]

Right to a speedy trial? Feh! Who needs that part of the Constitution either?

[jocko12]

Time line,now this is why the justice system STINKS.

[scan59]

I read an article the other day that the DA knew his case was incredibly weak. It got him re-elected though, and now he's letting it drag out in hopes that the furror will die down and people will forget.

[GaltMeister]

Looks like they are determined to get as much milage out of this case as they possibly can.

[frogjerk]

After the brief hearing, District Attorney Mike Nifong said he does not expect any trial to begin before next year.

Why not? What is there to do?

[BlueStateDepression]

now he's letting it drag out in hopes that the furror will die down and people will forget.

Evidently, this man has never heard of Gretta Van Susteran! No way will she let this one go, never gonna happen.

[OldFriend]

That state does not have a 'right to a speedy trial'

By dragging this case out NiFOGG costs the families tons of money. He can survive the general elecltion with no problem at all, and he can decide at the last minute that the girl is too traumatized to testify. In the meantime the families have been dragged thru hell.

That's what race baiting is all about. Punishing whitey!

[trashcanbred]

If this is true, the guy is an incredible jerk.

[TommyDale]

Hey, this gives us all a year to drag Nifong through the mud.

[Fiji Hill]

If this prosecutor really believes these students are rapists, why is he endangering the public by allowing them to run loose for a year?

[Always Right]

Why not? What is there to do?

Find some evidence that backs up the girls story.

[BlueStateDepression]

The case "is not going to jump ahead of the line and be handled any differently,"

Maybe some FReepers can help me understand something pertaining to this comment.

In every area that I have ever worked the demand for work to be done in a timely fashion demanded three or four shifts many times going 7 days a week and sometimes being 365 days a year. Why is it that our justice system seems to be immune from this evolution?

Is the show "Night Court" as close as we will ever come to actually doing something about this foolishness? SHEESH!

[Quilla]

Evidently, this man has never heard of Gretta Van Susteran! No way will she let this one go, never gonna happen.

LOL! No truer words....

[BlueStateDepression]

If this prosecutor really believes these students are rapists, why is he endangering the public by allowing them to run loose for a year?

DING DING DING DING DING!

[TravisBickle]

That state does not have a 'right to a speedy trial'

Doesn't the 6th Amendment apply to ALL states?

[AmishDude]

The Honorable Ronald L. Stephens
Judge Stephens received his Juris Doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was appointed special Superior Court Judge in 1994 before being elected in 1995. Prior to serving on the Superior Court bench, Judge Stephens served as the District Attorney of Durham County, practiced law with his private firm of Pulley, Wainio, Stephens & Lambe, and also served as an U. S. Army Helicopter Pilot during the Vietnam War.

From Nifong's bio: In the course of his career as a prosecutor, Nifong has worked for three different District Attorneys, serving as Chief Assistant under both Ronald L. Stephens and James E. Hardin, Jr., both of whom now serve as Superior Court Judges. He was appointed District Attorney for Durham by Governor Mike Easley on April 18, 2005, and was sworn into that position on April 27, 2005.

Italics are mine.

[Enterprise]

"The case "is not going to jump ahead of the line and be handled any differently," Superior Court Judge Ronald L. Stephens said at a hearing for sophomore Reade Seligmann."

Considering that this case has already been handled differently by Nifong, my question is: "Why not?"

Further, considering how this case has been handled so far, this is a scary statement by the judge if it is indicative of how justice is handled in North Carolina.

[pgkdan]

This is outrageous. This is a clear violation of the accused's Constitutional right to a speedy trial. Why the delay? Perhaps the DA is hoping that the furor will die down between now and then and he can quietly drop the charges? It's not right to have this smear on these men just hang out there for a year. Try them now...if they're guilty send to jail but if they're not they should be cleared and free to continue their lives.