'60 Minutes' interviews Duke lacrosse defendants (DukeLax Ping)

Durham Herald-Sun ^ | October 11, 2006 | John Stevenson

[abb]

DURHAM -- A CBS "60 Minutes" segment on the controversial Duke University lacrosse rape case is expected to air Sunday evening and will include interviews with all three indicted players and Kim Roberts Pittman, the second dancer at the party where the attack allegedly occurred.

CBS would not comment on the show. The network's normal practice is to withhold information about "60 Minutes" broadcasts until a few days in advance.

But Pittman's lawyer, Mark Simeon of Durham, confirmed Tuesday that his client was interviewed. But Simeon ended a telephone conversation before fielding a question about what Pittman told the interviewer.

An exotic dancer at the time, Pittman was with another dancer who claimed she was raped and sodomized by three lacrosse players during an off-campus party at 610 N. Buchanan Blvd. in mid-March.

Pittman since has been quoted as saying the rape charges were "a crock." She also told police in a March 22 handwritten statement that she and the accuser ended their performance when someone at the lacrosse party "brought out a broomstick and ... said he would use the broomstick on us."

"That statement made me uncomfortable and I felt like I wanted to leave," Pittman added. "I raised my voice to the boys and said the show was over."

Pittman said she then asked the alleged rape victim to leave the party with her. But she said the accuser "felt we could get more money and that we shouldn't leave yet."

According to Pittman, the accuser "began showing signs of intoxication" early in the dance performance and was "basically out of it" by the time it ended.

Pittman finally drove the other dancer to a Hillsborough Road grocery store, from which a 911 call was placed to police.

There is nothing about an alleged rape in Pittman's written statement, which is included in public-record court files.

All three defendants also were interviewed for the "60 Minutes" segment, sources told The Herald-Sun. The interviewer is veteran reporter Ed Bradley.

The three -- Collin Finnerty, Reade Seligmann and David Evans -- remain free under $100,000 bonds as they await a trial that is expected to occur next year. Each maintains he is innocent.

Neither they nor their families could be reached Tuesday for possible comment about the CBS show, and their attorneys had no comment.

Defense lawyers apparently will not appear on the television program. Neither will District Attorney Mike Nifong, who has been widely criticized for allegedly rushing to judgment in the case and making inflammatory public statements before he had sufficient evidence.

For the past four months, Nifong has not discussed the situation publicly. He was out of town on business and unreachable for comment Tuesday.

Benjamin Himan and Mark Gottlieb, police investigators in the lacrosse case, also could not be reached. But sources said the two had not been interviewed by "60 Minutes" as of Friday.

The Police Department repeatedly has declined to discuss the lacrosse incident.

It could not be determined Tuesday if a one-time driver for the alleged rape victim, Jarriel Lanier Johnson, was among those Bradley contacted.

"I have nothing to say about it," Johnson told The Herald-Sun by telephone before hanging up.

But Johnson gave police an April 6 handwritten statement about an "appointment," "a job" and a performance the accuser had at three different hotels in two days not long before the alleged rape.

Johnson also said she had sexual intercourse with him during the same time period.

URL for this article: http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-777449.html

[SarahUSC]

Could this be the tipping point? Given the state of the "case" it should have been ages ago but maybe it's finally here.

[RecallMoran]

I thought it possible for Kim to throw Nifong under the bus because it IS in her interest. At this point, her legal troubles are behind her, she has sealed the deal with the Fong, so there is no reason not to be truthful. I can think of many stories she can tell to explain her earlier flips (e.g. the Fong lied to me just as much as he lied to you). Plus, if she is interested in book/movie deal, it is much better for her to act like the heroine who took on Nifong and the corrupt power (like the cabbie) than the sex worker who helped perpetrate a fraud against 3 innocents. One thing about Kim -- she is no dummy. She may not be very book smart but she strikes me as as very street smart and knows how to protect herself.

We'll know for sure Sunday night but the FOng should not count on Kim bailing him out.

[RecallMoran]

I did not see the newscast tonight -- what happened to make you say it was devastating?

[abb]

you can watch it here.
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=5n&channel=ondemand

[VRWCtaz]

From the small clip of the interview shown tonight, it looks as if it is a total refutation of the FA's claims by the second dancer. I'm no lawyer, but that would seem to devastate Nifong's case.

[Sue Perkick]

How I hope it is. If so it's been a long time coming. But better late than never. I would love for these boys & their families to be able to get through the upcoming holidays without this hanging over them.

[Sue Perkick]

To be honest I bet he does. He has grossly overestimated himself throughout this case.

[Dukie07]

What I want to know is if Mr. Bradley asked Kim why it's taken her so long to tell the truth. Why now? What's her story? There has to be something else here.

[Locomotive Breath]

Under normal circumstances Nifong and Kim are natural enemies. She's already got her punishment for busting probation. However, Nifong could hassle her in the future for more probation violations. Maybe she's decided that if she sticks with her original "crock" story, she can torpedo Nifong's re-elections chances and get him off her case. In other words, her motivations now align much more closely with the three accused lax players than they do with CGM who Kim probably blames for dragging them both into this mess in the first place.

[jennyd]

The funny part is, it didn't take her that long to tell the truth. She told the truth in her report to the police back in March. It was just ignored.
In that report, she stated she was with Precious in the bathroom both before and after the performance, she described how Precious wanted to make more money, how they both were given the drinks in equal amounts and both sipped those drinks, and how Precioius's cup fell into the sink.
All of it was apparently ignored, but she did tell it in her official statement to the police back in March.

[ltc8k6]

Saw it too. Evans looked great, poised and confident. Kim looked wary and in over her head.

[ltc8k6]

just the bit I saw of Evans cheered me up. He's good on camera.

[Ready4Freddy]

Do you have the title, or a link to that? Thanks.

Great article in New York magazine about the the NY Times...

[PajamaTruthMafia]

I think this might be ot

Rape, Justice, and the ‘Times’ (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1716237/posts

[pepperhead]

The last post I have seen him do here he used another name. I think he is posting over at the "Talk Left" forums now.

[don'tbedenied]

yeah that's it

[Sue Perkick]

I'm not sure if this is the same article or not.

http://nymag.com/news/imperialcity/22337/index.html

[muawiyah]

Souv'rn Tow-en.

[Ready4Freddy]

Same article. Thanks to you all. It can be kinda tough to find some of these articles since many are posted within other ongoing FR threads.

[Constitutions Grandchild]

That is exactly what happened in my son's case. The police ignored the only witness in the room (18" away from our son's accuser in between him and the accuser). They also refused to take the statement of the neighbor of our son's accuser which was that she had told him two weeks before she made her accusation what she was going to do and why. When she dropped the "Al Sharpton" card, everyone caved and the police put blinders on, took the avoidance route and threw us to the wolves. I was never surprised that Nifong hung on to this -- he knew he'd lose the primary if he quit. Now, he's going to have to lose the election, and then what -- nobody to take his place. Another appointee??? That worked well the last time.

This goes on everywhere. Had the D.A. gone to court with the flimsy case, we would have won -- no contest. Fortunately for the Duke boys, there have been a number of us who won't give up and hang them out to dry.