Trial date set for Duke lacrosse witness (DukeLax Cabbie to be Nifonged)

Raleigh News and Observer ^ | August 15, 2006 | Staff

[abb]

DURHAM, N.C. -- A cab driver who has supported an alibi offered by one of the three Duke lacrosse players charged with rape had his own court appearance Tuesday for a larceny charge.

Moezeldin Elmostafa, 37, appeared briefly before a Durham County District Court judge who set a trial date of Aug. 29. Prosecutors also changed the charge against Elmostafa to aiding and abetting misdemeanor larcency.

Elmostafa was arrested in May after he surfaced as a potential alibi witness for Reade Seligmann, one of three players charged with raping a woman at an off-campus party the night of March 13.

The 2003 warrant accused Elmostafa of stealing five purses worth about $250 from a Durham department store. Elmostafa denies the charge, and has said he helped store security locate a woman after he picked her up from the store and drove her home. The woman later pleaded guilty to larceny.

Durham prosecutors said in May the warrant for Elmostafa's arrest was discovered in a routine background check of witnesses in the Duke lacrosse case.

Mostafa has said Seligmann, of Essex Fells, N.J., called for a ride at 12:14 a.m. on March 14, and was picked up five minutes later. The defense has argued those times help establish that Seligmann left the party without having enough time to participate in the 30-minute assault described by the accuser. Seligmann's attorney has also presented cell phone, ATM and dorm keycard records to help establish that timeline.

[maggief]

"It was dark," Alleva said. "It was raining. It was lightning. It was thundering. Those things are never in the story. We were trying to get back and get out of the lightning and the thunder, and we had an accident. And that's basically what happened."

It was a dark and stormy night ...

J.D. Alleva was impaired when he piled up the boat causing 42 stitches to the AD's forehead, but "basically" that's it.

It was because of the lacrosse situation that they became much bigger media events than they really deserved to be."

The "lacrosse situation" was a "much bigger media (event) than (it) really deserved to be."

[I want to know]

Welcome aboard. Are you the same krddurham that posts on the WTVD Forum?

As for Tommy, he's a good guy. He has contributed quite a bit to the information concerning this case. I'm not his apologist but many here are frustrated with what has taken place in Durham and can't understand why it has been allowed to continue.

[I want to know]

Great editing maggief! : )

[JLS]

Thanks abb- It will be interesting. CBS try to redeem itself?

One of the many mistakes that Nifong made in this case was failing to understand that at the Washington Post and CBS the accused would be viewed as this could be their kids.

Another mistake Nifong made is not to understand that one of the last respectable bigotries in this country is against white southerners particularly males. Nifong failed to understand that in DC and NYC and Boston, he would be seen as a white male bigotted southern prosecutor going after Yankees.

Of course we don't yet know how the CBS segment will play out. The feminazis at CBS could yet carry the day or enough of the day to make the segment ambiguous.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

"Given all the facts that we had as we were going along, I think we made the right decisions.

Facts my ass.

Hey, if he can't keep his kid under control, he has no buisness being Athletic Director.

After all, he allowed his son to operate a boat while drunk.

We were trying to get back and get out of the lightning and the thunder, and we had an accident. And that's basically what happened."...

Yeah, that's the ticket

Those things are never in the story.

Gee, Alleva, YA THINK????

I am in a bad mood tonight. One of those bad moods that has no reason.

[Jezebelle]

Nifong is a nouveau, politically correct bigot, though. "60 Minutes" may well go easy on him.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

I was listening to NG tonight on Xm while in the car. I don't know who the guest bimbo was, but she asked her cohort if the media was culpable in the JonBenet case.

Asshole's answer? (Told you I was in a bad mood). The lesson learned was to cooperate with the police. Tell them everything. If you are sincere, sooner or later the cloud of suspicion will lift.

Did I say he was an idiot asshole? Maybe that cloud will lift after 20 years in prison for a crime someone did not committ.

[JLS]

Of course the unspoken irony is that the Duke lacrosse team that NG has been so busily smearing followed her advice up to and including giving their DNA to authorities when they did not have to.

[Dukie07]

Got just what ya need, PBoR.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/newmie/Vodka.jpg

Enjoy! :)

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

I feel better already!

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

Exactly.

[Ken H]

"60 Minutes" may well go easy on him.

I'm also taking a wait and see attitude on this 60 Minutes story. If it delivers as he says it will, then that's terrific.

If they try any mischief, FR and the bloggers will be on them like ugly on an ape.

[Mike Nifong]

Yes, cooperate with people inclined to think you're guilty and they'll use parts of your story to generate more theories on your guilt (use your words against you) and ignore or chalk up your exculpatory statements as being "too convenient".

You got that right. You've got to be young and stupid to cooperate when People like Nancy Grace, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Jim Hammer, Susan Filan, etc occupying District Attorney offices.

What if the Runaway bride had been killed by a homeless person when she traveled to a another city? I guarantee you her husband would be in jail right now. The media was doing a job on him (remember he wanted to hire a polygrapher and not take the local Police's) when she turned up. Nancy Grace and Kimberley Guilfoyle were roasting him when she popped up (claiming she was RAPED by the way).

[Mike Nifong]

I am in a bad mood tonight. One of those bad moods that has no reason.
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

I kind like her when she's in a bad mood !

[Mike Nifong]

If I'm wrong - I'll say so, but I can't help think that 60 minutes piece will be half fluff -

Nifong, universially respected by his colleagues and friends. Known to take up the cause of underprivileged and oppressed. A prosecutor with a Sterling record, etc, etc, etc.

I can see 60 minutes painting him (like Susan Filan) as man deeply committed to the woman - and chalking up his motivation to a belief in this poor Rape victim.

They will assign good Motives to Nifong, I'm sure.

An objective reading of this case shows that the evidence was manipulated and falsely represented - and no reasonable person would any reason to believe this woman was credible and honest.

I'd be willing to bet some cold hard cash that the CBS report will say, in part - Nifong may know something we don't or it's unknown what other evidence he's not revealing to us. Or they're put people on (as experts) that say or advocate that this woman deserves her day in court. He must have something, etc.

_

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

I kind like her when she's in a bad mood !

---

:-)

[Mike Nifong]

Yeah, Miami Blvd has a whole slew of those extended stay places for professinals.

I'll have to check out Tyler's Taproom - thanks for the Tip!

[Neverforget01]

I'm not holding out much hope for CBS either. Didn't Mike Wallace interview Ahmadamnnutjob(my spelling) and find him to be a reasonable guy?

[Mike Nifong]

Think back to the Clinton days - they threatened and teased that they'd expose Clinton, etc. They were never prepared to make say outright what it looked like he did. They also had to spend 10-15 minutes attacking his opponents before they got to the substance of any story.

That's why I think they'll play it safe and point out some things and then make it sound reasonable to wait until the case will be heard. If Nifong, DPD, etc continue what they've been doing, why would anyone think they'd get an honest or fair trial?

[Mike Nifong]

** ** ** ** COURT DATE TOMORROW * ** * * **

The man who's DNA was found in the AV is due in Durham Criminal Court tomorrow.

He was arrested sometime after the March party and he's already had one postponed court date.