Posted on 04/18/2006 3:26:57 AM PDT by Mad-Margaret
DURHAM -- A day after a grand jury indicted two Duke University lacrosse players in connection with a reported rape, two men emerged from a sheriff's deputy vehicle and were led, handcuffed, into the magistrates office at the Durham County Jail at 4:54 a.m. today.
The arrests stem from a party that began March 13. The accuser, who is a mother of two, an N.C. Central University student and an escort service dancer, told police March 14 that she was sexually assaulted by three men in a bathroom at an off-campus house shared by three lacrosse team captains. The accuser is black; she said her rapists were white.
Defense lawyers said players maintained that there was no sex at all. They said the accuser concocted the story, that she was drunk and injured late March 13 when she arrived at the three-bedroom house at 610 N. Buchanan Blvd.
"... Two young men have been charged with crimes they did not commit. This is a tragedy," Bob Ekstrand, who represents team players, said Monday in a prepared statement. "For the two young men, an ordeal lies ahead. They do not face it alone; they face it with the love of family and friends and strengthened by the truth. They are both innocent."
Superior Court Judge Ronald Stephens sealed a manila envelope containing the indictments shortly after the grand jury finished its business Monday. The judge cited a state law that requires everyone involved in a case, including witnesses, to keep the indictment secret until a suspect is arrested.
Last month, a judge ordered DNA tests on the team's 46 white players; he excluded the only black team member. The players' attorneys say the tests showed none of the players' genetic material on or in the woman.
Nifong, bolstered by a medical exam that found injuries on the woman consistent with sexual assault, says he is confident that she was assaulted in the university-owned house. Nifong said last week at a forum at NCCU that the accuser identified at least one of her attackers.
Until Sunday night, the only other witness, the second woman hired to dance at the party, had remained silent. In television interviews, she told her story.
The woman's attorney, Mark Simeon of Durham, declined Monday to make her available for an interview. She spoke on the MSNBC cable news network, which did not identify her and showed her in silhouette. Simeon confirmed that it was his client on MSNBC.
The woman told MSNBC that she did not witness a rape and does not know whether one occurred.
The woman said she arrived thinking that she would be dancing at a bachelor party of 15 people. She was not expecting a party of lacrosse players, many of whom she said were in a drunken stupor. The woman said she was infuriated to learn that some players photographed her dancing.
The accuser did not appear to be on drugs or to have been drinking when she arrived, the second dancer said. She was "absolutely fine and in control of herself."
When the accuser left, less than an hour after she arrived, she was incoherent and stumbling, the second dancer said.
"She couldn't really walk on her own," the woman said. "She really couldn't get her thoughts together enough to answer any questions. ... She was a different person than I met at the beginning."
The second woman said she was the person who called 911 as the party was breaking up, to complain that some lacrosse players had used racial slurs. "The boys hollered the 'N' word," she said. "I was upset and called 911."
She said she pretended to be a passer-by because she didn't want people in her life to know about her job as an escort service dancer.
It is unclear how that woman's story would affect the case. Players' attorneys have said she would only help them. By day's end Monday, Nifong left without talking to reporters; it remains unclear what evidence he has.
Throughout Monday, there were many more reporters on the sixth floor of the courthouse than the 18 members of the grand jury panel. Reporters tracked the district attorney's movements in minute detail. Just after noon, Nifong emerged from his office and walked across the hallway to the bathroom.
Reporters surrounded the bathroom door in a crowd that included five television cameras, three still photographers, sound men with boom microphones and at least a dozen print reporters. At the sound of flushing, the group tensed, raised cameras and prepared. Nifong did not emerge with news.
"I no longer get to go anywhere in my community without people knowing who I am," said Nifong, who faces two challengers in a primary election May 2. Staff writer Anne Blythe can be reached at 932-8741 or ablythe@newsobserver.com.
She was furious when she found out that there was 2 cashier checks for $400,000.
"Just after noon, Nifong emerged from his office and walked across the hallway to the bathroom.
Reporters surrounded the bathroom door in a crowd that included five television cameras, three still photographers, sound men with boom microphones and at least a dozen print reporters. At the sound of flushing, the group tensed, raised cameras and prepared. Nifong did not emerge with news."
You know the media is in position to do their business, when you hear the sound of flushing.
There's no reason they shouldn't be if the tenants, who are team members, want to let them in. The cops never secured the property, so it's not up to them whether the defense sends a team in or not.
Just imagine how dishonest she must have been as a prosecutor. I bet evidence went missing all the time because she just knew that they were guilty.
Didn't take long for Nancy Grace to make the Scott Peterson
comparison .. Maybe the PSYCH should analyze Nancy on her program.
You just know Nancy Grace's house is just full of whips and chains and other such implements...
Yes, our good Democratic Governor-yuk.
When she complained, he fired her.
A real sensitive understanding type you all have over there and she is handling all the rape trials.
If I am not mistaken, this is the first trial he has tried since he got appointed.
Wasn't he handling just traffic violations for some time prior to his appointment--remember hearing this somewhere during this whole debacle?
Nancy Grace misrepresenting the facts.
SHe's making a big deal about after the time break in the photos she ONLY had one shoe on.
SHE ONLY HAD ONE SHOE ON TWO MINUTES AFTER ARRIVING.
What is SHE talking about? Is she just ignoring the first picture with all the bruises?
They are all hung up on those alibis. Some of the attorneys are saying alibis are BAD because they don't prove anything.
The Chris1 I am reading here, sounds like he is in bed with the District Attorney. And if he has laid claim to being an attorney himself, I must have missed that post.
Of course she is. What a nut.
I've been gone all day and haven't gone back through the whole thread - has anyone commented on how Geraldo's theory of a plea bargain has gone down in flames?
Yes. It was the Peter Principle.
And I am in Raleigh!
I think he fired her because she could run rings around him.
Not yet, but I will.......................LOL.
Jeff, I am a woman, but I can see how men could despise some women!
Because she embarasses me.
DING !!
Nancy Grace questions who would save a receipt. Questions the Alibi.
This is too easy predicting Nancy Grace.
DING !!
Brought on specialist to say woman don't falsely accuse on these things. Ref: St. Johns Basketball team.
A sting showed the woman was lying about the alleged Gang-rape of 4 basketball players. She was blackmailing them for the basketball (and Pro) careers and one of the players wore a wire. Faced with the evidence she admits she went back and voluntarily had sex with them and minutes after the act(s), she notified them she was calling the police and there was only one way they could save their careers. This woman was also in the sex-field.
.
There are numerous private agencies that will run full asset and worth profiles for a fee.
It would be interesting to see if the parents of these two boys will invest in investigating whether or not their names have been run through these systems and who made the request. They can start with the credit bureaus for recent inquiries. They may have to hit and miss for a bit, but there will be an electronic record of inquiry that can be gained through subpoena. I think it would sink Mangum like a rock, and take every race-baiting, lying bastard down with her if the defense were to hit paydirt on this question, assuming ti's true that these two boys are from the wealthiest or among the wealthiest of the players in terms of their families' resources.
LOL - I mentioned this afternoon that Nancy Grace would say that the alibi is staged. Did you see how she tried to allege that that on the accused went to the atm "AFTER the rape"?
Would is so suspicious about keeping an ATM receipt? I thought that everyone did that. What does she expect people to do, throw them on the ground? Even if they didn't keep the receipt, the bank records would show it and probably the ATM camera.
Ya, except Seligmann didn't have a sport coat on.
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