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.
I do not know how to link articles, but if you google "Nancy Grace Ethics" you will find an article at law.com which discusses Grace's ethical lapses including one critique by the Eleventh Circuit.
"The kids knew the strippers were black when they hired them."
Show me any source that proves that point.
I've never employed an escort service but I presume you can make certain requests. And if they did it for the lesser cost is that because the "dancers" were new, less artful, less talented, open to more direct moneymaking options etc. and not because they were black?
"It was a conscious decision based on cost and the type of entertainment they were seeking (ie. duo show with inanimate objects)."
Are you saying white strippers would never utilize "props" or perform in pairs?
But since we might end up in Chat a lot, now is a good time to say
If you did NOT get a ping from me to this thread and you want to be on the DUKE LACROSSE PING LIST, please Freepmail me.
12:30:12 to 12:30:47 - accuser is standing on the steps wearing a red and black lace top bodysuit and one white high heel shoe. She's smiling and holding a cell phone.
12:30:12: The alleged victim is on the back porch. She has a shoe only on her left foot as she appears to smile and apparently tries to get back inside.
12:31:26: The alleged victim appears to be stumbling down the back steps of the house.
12:37:58 - 12:38:18 - accuser lying on stairs, cuts, and abrasions visible. happened when she fell. fresh nail polish was on the handrail. it wasn't on the other handrail pick before she went out there. all of her clothing is intact
12:37:58: A series of photos beginning at this time shows the woman lying on her left side on the back porch, seemingly passed out or asleep. Pink splotches are on a wrought-iron railing beside her.
12:41: The alleged victim is being helped into the car.
12:41:32 - leg of accuser hanging out of door. this man carried her out to Kims car
Has this single mom of 2, college student, daddys girl, felon, drunk dancer ever cried rape falsely before?
I thought Hannity or the one of the TH guests said she had. Lise was squealing too loud to hear clearly.
Last night on some show Wendy Murhpy was on, while she was waiting to speak, on the split screen, I swear her face split down the middle and fire shot out of her eyes!
Wait until she gets on the witness stand(if this case isn't dropped first) and a Defense lawyer gets ahold of her...I don't think there will be much smiling then...
This is important because a prior false accusation by the complainant would be admissible to impeach her credibility.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=local&id=4091290
And there's one more from Dan Abrams
here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1616498/posts?page=8#8
hehehe. I hope she's miserable from now until the end of time.
Great site, but alas not very accurate for prices. Ir relies too much on trend lines, over long periods of time. The aerial pics in some neighbohoods are the best on the net though. You can see the color of my pool water, and the gazebo.
I just posted the 12:30 timeframe on a few posts up.
I wouldn't be surprised; Kerry Sutton said today that she expects Nifong to withdraw his action when "he finds out what we've found out."
ROFLMAO!!
Wendy of the "ripped and torn vagina" rant? Rip Torn...her new nic!
Rita: Defense says they have cab driver receipts and cab driver will come forward to say he was with the boy for x amount of time. Defense also says they have evidence the other boy wasn't in the house at the time.
Rita: More DNA expected as early as tomorrow. A few hours ago another Duke dorm which was previously searched has been searched again. Looking for info to tie both individuals charged as well as third suspect.
Oh good heavens! When does this cross the line to harrassment?
RIPPED!!
And now here is Lisa Bloom!
Rita: Accuser pointed out third suspect and DA trying to find info to tie him to attack.
Yale Galanter: DA will take great fall in a few days. Defense says they have concrete evidence that accuser picked one person absolutely wrongly.
Scarborough: It appears as if these two arrests hinge on this lady (hah) who was under the influence.
Yale: No DNA and defense not expecting anything from the other DNA tests coming in tomorrow. Complainant shown 47 photos and she thinks 2 did it and one maybe did it and that's what the DA went on.
Scarborough: If this woman's testimony is all they have, it's crucial to the DA. She's been charged with DWI, felony assault with weapon, felony larceny. As defense attorney, do you go after her credibility?
Yale: Yes. And the police officers who saw her after immediately after said she was passed out drunk and didn't need medical attention.
Scarborough: Figure out how to approach witness since she's the only reason 2 young men are arrested now. Never want to put the rape victim on trial but at the same time, her testimony and credibility ahs to be the center of this.
Lisa Bloom: The law protects every woman whether she was under the influence or not. Let's talk about the credibility of one of these men who was arrested in a gay bashing group attack.
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