Very interesting post. I have a few questions:
1. This sounds to me like the outline of an "ideal" global settlement. I wonder why Mangum takes it? Nifong is in too deep to ever prosecute her. She has an opportunity to make some cash from Duke or someone in this. The players get the charges dropped. Duke gets no law suits against it. Nifong gets out of the hole he dug for himself. Durham avoids huge liability costs. Mangum gets nothing.
2. While you say Duke does not participate, they gain as if you can not talk about a case you can not sue anyone. So no one can sue Duke.
3. This settlement would require all the lacrosse players to sign on. Every single one on that poster or who had their DNA taken have a cause of action against Durham County. Now at one time this group was a team. But some guys have graduated now. Some may have lost job offers they previously had. I wonder if all of them are willing to give up a potential 7 figure judgement against Durham?
4. What about ethics complaints? Has everyone on FreeRepublic signed on to this deal too? Apparently anyone in the world can file a ethics complaint about Nifong with the NC bar or the state AG.
So I called it an ideal global settlement. You suggested maybe it involved some wishful thinking on some parts. I think you are right. I doubt that such a global deal could be done, but lots of things about this case have surprised me.
JLS writes
-1. This sounds to me like the outline of an "ideal" global settlement. I wonder why Mangum takes it? Nifong is in too deep to ever prosecute her. She has an opportunity to make some cash from Duke or someone in this. The players get the charges dropped. Duke gets no law suits against it. Nifong gets out of the hole he dug for himself. Durham avoids huge liability costs. Mangum gets nothing,-
What does Mangum get? She get's not going to jail. She get's not being sued for everything she has and ever will have. She gets to slink away without having to say "I knowingly lied over and over, this whole time I have been telling lies."
But that is besides the point, because that settlmentwould never happen.