[jennyd]

I think all the Durham judges realize that the accusations are false. So, they don't want to deal with this case. They want to get elected, don't they? If they follow the law and throw out the unduly suggestive line up, they might not get elected when the time comes, because they lose the black vote.
So, they want nothing to do with the case. Stephens couldn't get out of there fast enough. And Titus seems even worse than Stephens.

[Mike Nifong]

That's kinda what I was getting at, the Durham Judges not wanting anything to do with this can only be interpretted as a bad sign for Nifong's case.

[Jezebelle]

All of Durham's black "leaders" seem to be in hiding.

Now that it's clear to even the densest of simpletons that these boys are innocent AND that no rape occurred, we neither hear nor see anything from any of them.

[Hogeye13]

I think the inability or unwillingness of the two judges so far to hear anything that the defense has to say, whether in motions or open court and their willingness to abide the prosecutor and his slams of the opposing attorneys in open court are telling. I think the Durham judges backed out because of Nifong and his control of the calendar.

Yes, they probably recognized the rulings that they were going to have to make would have an impact on their futures as judges. I am sure some or all of them aspire to higher judgeships. If they don't get reelected those opportunities diminish. If they are overturned in their rulings by higher courts to many times those opportunities diminish as well. It might be that a whole lot of CYA was going on in this to the defenses advantage.