Call adds mystery to lacrosse case (DukeLax)

News and Observer ^ | July 12, 2006 | Joseph Neff

[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.

[JLS]

If Nifong tries to pretend it wasn't an attempt to elicit IDs, Gottlieb's description will show he is lying imo.

I agree. Of course it will take an honest judge to throw out the IDs and bar in court IDs. But that would be best for all. It would end this case before further damage is done to the accused and the county of Durham.

[GAgal]

It will be interesting to observe Judge Titus on Monday. The defense team better be on time and prepared to speak succintly:

http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-749716.html

[JLS]

The defense team better be on time and prepared to speak succintly

Actually no. Titus is the one who better be on his toes and pay close attention on Monday. We have seen the defense attorneys in this case and the nation has a good opinion of them. The nation does not have a good opinion of NC justice right now and this is our first look at Titus. That attitude is ok for some cases, if he brings it Monday to court, he will face serious criticism Monday night hour after hour. This is a serious matter for the state of NC and Titus better be more on the ball in his first hearing than Stephens was.

I did notice in that article and think about something I had not previously put together. Since Titus is the chief judge only for the next 6 months, I guess if Nifong strings this out to trial, Titus may well not be the trial judge.

[SarahUSC]

Exactly. I have 4 brothers. I'd hate to see what Fisher would say about them. I actually sent Fisher an e-mail over that article because it was just snide and ridiculous.

[SarahUSC]

I'm anxious to see what Judge Titus is like too. We'll get a real clue based on what he does with the subpoenas the defense wants quashed. I'm just curious to see his general attitude too.

[SarahUSC]

Actually, I think Seligmann was #7 and Finnerty was #40 - and the one she cried over. But I like your theory that the first guy she picked was someone she wasn't supposed to pick and that made her very nervous. Makes sense.

[Ken H]

Here is an example of a man who had his life ruined on a false rape charge. He was cleared by DNA testing--

_________________________________________

Man Exonerated After 22 Years in Prison Adjusting to New-Found Freedom

Date: Thursday, July 13, 2006

By: Leonard Greene, Special to BlackAmericaWeb.com

It's been one stop after another for freed inmate Alan Newton, who was released from prison last week after 22 years in jail for a crime he did not commit.

After a week of parties, picnics and public appearances, Newton, a former bank teller from the Bronx, is adjusting to life on the outside after DNA testing cleared him in the vicious rape and beating of a Bronx woman whose shaky identification sent him away for nearly half his life.

DNA from Newton that was compared to a sperm sample recovered as evidence after the rape showed conclusively that Newton had nothing to do with the brutal attack.

But the DNA comparison did not take place until more than a dozen years after Newton made a motion for the test. [end excerpt]

-- http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/bawnews/newton713

[Dukie07]

I have a couple of questions, a couple of comments.

My questions:

To add to JLS's last post: So, what should we expect out of a "lame duck" judge?

IF Nifong does not win the election, what happens to him?

My comments:

What does Nifong have on Stephens? (This is in response to someone's earlier comment.) I'm sorry, when reading the post about Crystal's "black book" including names from Durham's PD and City Council, I had a flash of her performing with dildo in that hotel room for Mike and his wife. But that statement about what Nifong had on Stephens made me change the characters in my scenario.

Also, I am about to admit something that will probably make you all hate me (I hope not, but one never knows): I'm a Dem. By registration only, I go both ways, if you will, in the voting booth. Actually, when I took a test to determine my political leanings, I was just slightly left of center. Anyway, I just received a call from the National Committe looking for, what else, money. The fellow I was talking to prefaced his request with the statement that this call was being recorded. Before I spoke, I asked him again, to make sure I had not misunderstood, if the call was being recorded. He said, "Yes, that's correct." I told him that as long as the Democratic Party silently allows the travesty of justice that a Democratic DA in Durham, NC is involved in to continue, I would not give five cents to the party. I said that if this is the Democrat's idea of justice, then there is no justice in America. Poor guy. He didn't know what to say. Made me feel better, but no one will probably ever hear it.......

[Dukie07]

*Committee

[Dukie07]

I knew it. I killed the thread....

[Ken H]

I knew it. I killed the thread....

It's not dead... it's just sleeping!

[CondorFlight]

"I told him that as long as the Democratic Party silently allows the travesty of justice that a Democratic DA in Durham, NC is involv"

Good for you. This is what is needed to make the pols understand that the public considers this a major issue,
and that it is not one that can be ducked.

And that has severely damaged our opinion of the entire judicial system in the US, and will (especially of judges)
for years to come.

[JLS]

Thanks for the correction that Finnerty was #40.

[JLS]

Alan Newton is scheduled to be on Hannity and Colmes tommorrow night. Here is what the Innocence Project has to say about this Mr. Newton:

http://www.innocenceproject.org/case/display_profile.php?id=184

[JLS]

People disagree from issue to issue here. While not many are registered in the same party as you, we still have some and maybe many areas of agreement. This case for one and I congratulate you for what you said to the fund raisers.

Heck go to an immigration thread and see how much disagreement there can be here.

As for what Nifong has on Stephen? Well Nifong controls the schedule. He can stick a judge with a bunch of boring civil cases. That means Stephens and even Titus has some self interest in just kicking this down the road. We shall see about Titus Monday, I guess.

[Ken H]

Hannity actually had him on tonight-- what a horrible injustice they inflicted on this man. You can watch or record the rerun at 2 am eastern-- about an hour from now.

[JLS]

Thanks for my second correction, this is what I get for posting and listening to H&C while reading a mystery novel.

[cherry]

"I go both ways"

I wouldn't be saying that outloud if I were you.........lol

[cherry]

actually, Dukie....most people here are idealist and "go both ways" if they need to....

besides, the far left and the far right actually are very close in their resentment of govt ......

[Mike Nifong]

I see what you mean. That is odd how it is written.

Where did I read (or I thought I did) that somewhere the Police said they showed her pictures of people they believed were at the party.

Was that a rumor or speculation?