The eyes of the nation will be on THIS case. Would they even dare to be lenient on Nifong?
They seem pretty brazen to me. If they don't think that throwing him to the wolves will satisfy, then they may not bother. I haven't seen broad inclinations to close ranks anymore, but that can change, depending on how the case goes.
The NC legal community has been such an ethical disappointment that the bar has been lowered to just about the ground. I have no expectations of them doing the right thing. Any state's legal community that would allow the system they have to exist is bankrupt, in my opinion.
Since I no longer have any expectations of any NC authorities, I've focused on the feds, and Gonzales has been another huge disappointment in this case, and other matters as well. Maybe he and his office will change their minds and decide to do the right thing, but I'm no longer hopeful. There was no valid reason for them to not proceed now with a civil rights investigation.