[abb]

Well, hell. I missed this story early on. I hope y'all don't cut my pay, lol...

Lacrosse case may get single judge
http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-756704.html

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

More info:

Check the Diamond Girls message board-- cops know the hookers- they even have tapes

Finesse, Durham Bar President, is (2001) executive officer of the Committee--

Simeon's wife, Fern Gunn, works for the NC Bar!

K. Spaulding's wife is/was? a VP in Duke Med Center..

Bell

1. was hired by Duke as a Consultant in 1996--
2. he also was running one of the black banks downtown--
3. he is everywhere.
   
    

[Mad-Margaret]

No pay cut!

If this case doesn't go away by Labor Day, then it will be dismissed during the Christmas break. The fix is in, folks. There's not going to be a trial and Nifong will remain DA. JMO. They don't dare try this case in the national spotlight. It's not gonna happen.

[maggief]

From the H-S:

If the "exceptional" designation comes, those involved in the lacrosse matter would come up with the names of three possible judges and submit them to the Supreme Court chief justice, who would select one of them.

//

Good bye Stephens!

[xoxoxox]

Lacrosse case may get single judge

By John Stevenson : The Herald-Sun. Jul 28, 2006 : 9:41 pm ET

DURHAM -- The Duke lacrosse rape case likely will get an "exceptional" designation from the state Supreme Court that would be the first of its kind for a criminal issue in Durham, officials said Friday.

The designation, which must be approved by the chief justice of the state's highest court, could speed the case by providing one judge to handle every detail from now until the end of a trial.

With only one judge making all the decisions, consistency and efficiency would be vastly improved, officials predict.

"I think it's a great idea," lawyer Bill Cotter said Friday. -cut-

If the "exceptional" designation comes, those involved in the lacrosse matter would come up with the names of three possible judges and submit them to the Supreme Court chief justice, who would select one of them.

***Durham's senior judge, Orlando F. Hudson, agreed Friday that the idea is a good one -- largely because a trial of the lacrosse case could set a longevity record for local criminal proceedings, possibly lasting even longer than the five months it took to try murder suspect Michael Peterson in 2003.***

Hudson said the lacrosse case has three defendants rather than just one, and that they might be on the witness stand seemingly endlessly if they choose to testify.

In addition, extensive publicity and racial issues surrounding the lacrosse incident might cause jury selection to drag out for weeks, Hudson said.

The three indicted lacrosse players are white. The accuser is black.

It took a month and half to seat a jury for the Peterson trial.

According to Hudson, an "exceptional" designation might cause a trial to occur even sooner than the early 2007 time frame mentioned by District Attorney Mike Nifong.

http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-756704.html

Important considerations for local leaders will be the effect of an earlier, long-drawn-out trial on Duke's highly
visible Basketball season, and maximum exposure during Spring network TV ratings sweeps.