Posted on 07/12/2006 1:52:14 AM PDT by abb
Phone use spans time of team party
In the middle of a Duke lacrosse party where a dancer said she was gang-raped for 30 minutes, a call was placed from her cell phone to a Durham escort service.
The 12:26 a.m. call to the service, Centerfold, lasted one minute, according to a copy of her cell phone bill reviewed by The News & Observer. It is unclear whether the call was a request for another job, a cry for help or something else, or even whether the accuser made the call herself.
But the accuser's phone records add some details to the chronology of the March 13 party, a drunken spring break bash that spawned a national controversy.
Neither prosecutors nor defense lawyers would discuss the phone records Tuesday. Neither the accuser nor a second dancer at the party could be reached, nor could representatives of Centerfold. Police Chief Steve Chalmers was out of town; his spokeswoman said he would not discuss the case.
Three players have been charged with first-degree rape, sexual offense and kidnapping: Reade Seligmann, 20, of Essex Fells, N.J.; Collin Finnerty, 19, of Garden City, N.Y.; and Dave Evans, 23, of Bethesda, Md. Lawyers for the players have proclaimed their clients' innocence and said no rape or sex occurred at the house at 610 N. Buchanan Blvd.
District Attorney Mike Nifong, whose handling of the case has undergone national scrutiny, has been adamant that the woman was raped at the party. Nifong has not given a precise timeline of when he thinks an assault occurred.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsobserver.com ...
I don't think there's any question the defense is in it for as far as Nifong chooses to take it. I also don't think the FA is mentally able to enter a courtroom. Without her testimony Nifong can't proceed. I guess we'll see.
Nifong or any DA can dismiss any charges they want AT ANY TIME. Whether Mangum wants a prosecution is irrelevant. Members of the public do not get to decide who the state prosecutes. That is long established.
Well yes, there are two phones on the warrant, and aparently 4 phones in the custody of the DPD.
I may be dreaming up the description....
He's collected 10,000 bargaining chips. Maybe he's negotiating a resolution before the decides... "Hey Mikey, Drop the case or I'm in...."
OK, just had a response from senator John Kyl's office (AZ)
about how much the Finnerty case cost and why it received so much effort from the DC attorney's office.
His staff (which I will credit for responding swifty)
absolutely refused to get involved in any way.
Even refusing to send an inquiry to the DC attorneys' office
about the cost of the Finnerty investigation. (As a taxpayer, I would think I have the right to ask for that information.)
So much for responsive government.
I'm leery of Cheeks. I am wondering if he's there to protect the other polical playa's, if you catch my drift.
Political. Sheesh ... can't type today.
The search inventory lists several Verizon models numbers.
The initial police report says it was a $400 Sanyo cell phone. I think I heard or read somewhere that it was red... But I could be mistaken about the red.
You tried. That's all you can do. The fact that those involved are reading blogs to find out public sentiment is testimony to the fact that you all are making a difference.
I guess we received bad advice as to dropping our case. We were told that as long as the young woman was willing to get on the stand and testify under oath, they had to proceed. Ah, well, it's over for us, but I sure hope the pressure is kept on Durham, as this is much, much more serious for all involved.
Are you sure she's over the rainbow? Well, let me rephrase that. Are you as sure as any of us can be, sitting on the sidelines, that she's that unstable?
I agree with you. I think this will go to trial unless the accuser backs out. Or unless Cheek runs and wins in November. I don't see any other way out.
I worry about Collin too. He looked two steps away from tears and a breakdown the other day. I think he's having a tough time. Of course, who wouldn't be?
He can drop the charges but would he? I don't think so. Not if the accuser wants to go forward. There would be huge political ramifications for him. Also I think he has some serious resentments against these guys and he is too stubborn to back down.
"You tried. That's all you can do."
Thanks.
The next time I speak with a staffer, though, I'm going to mention that the results of our conversation are going to be posted on the NET. (That may help a bit :-)
And if enough senators hear from enough people, they may still reverse course; clearly anything this is a hot potato
that they'd all rather pass off to someone else as quickly as possible.
But, the DC attorneys work for us, and it is impossible that they can work in an ivory tower and refuse to answer how they allocate their resources and how much was spent on this case, vs. how much is spent on other crimes committed in DC.
You have no idea how fragile he is. I know from watching a big, 6'4" son sleeping with a nightlight on for a year after he went through the same thing. It's all I can do to keep from weeping at the memory. He's all right now, but it was touch and go for a year while our case played out. I never took my eyes off him for fear he'd slip away from me. I pray for Colin every morning before I come to work and every night before I go to sleep. I watch every post on FR to make sure my prayer burdens are okay.
Your're my hero! Jim Talent is our Senator and we've been active in all his campaigns, but I don't think I can ask, since it's too close to home for us. He's in a dogfight now with Clare McCaskil, so he's probably not going to get involved it this either.
As of right now the case is a political positive for Nifong with the segment of Durham voters that support him and put him in office. With this segment of voters there is no way it can become a negative as long as he continues to pursue it.
When civil rights stopped being about equal treatment under the law and started being about revenge, that's when certain groups used up their line of credit with me.
"...certain groups have used up their line of credit."
Yes, I think I've arrived at that point now, as well. Hubby thinks there is going to be a terrible backlash. I don't think so, but I think we will have some in the legal profession start to "think" about the consequences of their actions, and I don't believe it has been the case in the past. It does appear that it's open season on young white men, and in absolute fairness, it has been that way for young black men in the past. It should have been about justice all along, but I guess it never was and never will be.
Yes, the initial police report.
That's it, I think. Red Sanyo phone is what I remember.
Now where the heck did that report get to?
Tucker isn't a lawyer, so the defense isn't going to share with him. Megyn Kendall should be their next conduit to public disclosure, other than through court documents they may have need to file. Hannity would have her on as much as needed.
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.