If Nifong gets out of this unscathed, I will have lost faith.
One wonders. He was just re-elected.
When is the deadline for an independent to file to run against Nifong?
Is Mark Simeon, the attorney for Kim and the parents, going to run ... again?
<< If Nifong gets out of this unscathed, I will have lost faith. >>
Be prepared to lose faith. Nifong will be unscathed, except in the court of public opinion of reasonable people.
Nifong said (I think it may have been at the NCCU forum or in the day or two surrounding that) basically that if a woman swears out a complaint for rape, that is enough for a jury to hear the case. And in fact, Nifong had the sworn statement of Crystal and a SANE report, however weak, of swelling and pain consistent with rape (together with the bruises and cuts).
Looking back now I guess he was trying to tell us that's all he has here!
So unless Crystal decides she will not testify, this case, with all its flaws, is still on its way to a jury.
As SirJohn advises, "be prepared to lose faith."
I lost faith a couple of years ago when the facts came to light in the infamous capital murder conviction of Alan Gell here in North Carolina.
Gell, who was a petty punk, spent NINE YEARS on deathrow before it came to light that the TWO prosecutors who handled his case withheld a BOATLOAD of exculpatory evidence. A BARGEload. Most of these things end with some uncertainty, but the evidence that the prosecutors buried provided overwhelming and unarguable proof of Gell's innocence.
The prosecutors not only did not fairly consider the evidence, but they hid it, did not turn it over in discovery.
The prosecutors were standing by for this completely innocent guy to get the needle. When all this came out, he was given a retrial and quickly acquitted. The prosecutors ultimately received a mild rebuke.
There are many N&O stories on this unbelieveable matter. I grabbed one almost at random that summarizes the main points.
http://www.newsobserver.com/208/story/232426.html
I am a strong supporter of the death penalty, but I was completely horrified at this travesty of justice. When it comes to prosecutors, yea, I already lost my faith.