No mention on the Univision weather report tonight, which I watch regularly. Note however that I don't speak Spanish *cough*.
What? Aw come on, we need a little break from the insanity...
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.
Just goes to show what i say about criminal defense attorneys. Their job is not to get an innocent man off. It is to make sure innocent men do not get convicted and that those who are guilty do not get convicted of crimes more serious than they committed. It is also to make sure the prosecutor does his job.
To many people, those things never happen. They are in denial. Many innocent poor people get railroaded every day.
"You obviously know more details of this than I do, but does not mean you know any more that is relevant and true. Let the courts (as corrupt as they are) establish what is or is not a fact--then we'll decide."
ZULU may state alot of facts but completely creates some, misrepresents others and ignores the rest all in the cause of rich-boys-are-guilty theories.
A class-obsessed pessimist with no class as far as this thread has been concerned.
Just demonstrating again that these tv talking heads just don't take the time necessary to carefully study all of the available facts. They are more often entertainment than enlightening.
The defense needs to continue to make their case in the media as much as possible, NOW while the spotlight is still on this case.
Some are saying they shouldn't be doing that because Nifong is no longer out there doing so, but the problem is the MSM has picked up where Nifong left off and are out of control, operating their very own star chambers on the evening news shows every night.
I am no fan of Williams and to this day I don't understand why Greta includes him on the panel.....
No mention on the Univision weather report tonight, which I watch regularly. Note however that I don't speak Spanish *cough*.
What? Aw come on, we need a little break from the insanity...
Looking for ATM receipts? I can't believe this is happening....
No mention of the brass knuckles? A cover up for sure, but who's supprised?
That's pretty much what Fox has become over the last few years. They used to be really good but now they're just tabloid.
The afternoon-early evening guys are really good but after that it gets pretty bad. The woman on around lunch time is a nut as well.
WRAL says they searched Finnerty's room today.
__________________________
A day after the indictments?
Hmmm...what do you think of this, more fishing?
Reading these articles now attacking the 18-20 year lacrosse players, I'm left thinking, what happened to the days when sports were encouraged because they taught dedication, commitment, hard work, and sportsmanship.
When you read about these players, the writers want us to hate them because they went to nice schools, lived in nice neighborhoods, and they excelled on the lacrosse field.
If this woman from Durham had been a WNBA player, I wonder how many articles and spin-offs we'd be seeing reporting on how sports benefit young people. How many articles would we be reading on the many hours this woman spent (BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS) practicing and striving to be the best. We'd have heard from her Mother about how hard she rehabed when she had that elbow injury. We'd hear how tough the person is and how they demonstrated that in tough games. How the person never gives up - NO MATTER WHAT !
But, here, we are left to loath these players. Everything was handed to them. They were born wealthy and stars. They never sweated in their lives. Their lawns were all green and manicured. They have no mental toughness, in fact, they are all animal house monsters. The Duke LAX team has the highest graduation rate and a Nationally ranked team and this all came without work, preparation, or discipline.
It's frightening to read the press coverage.
.
Knowing the reality of how the system typically operates, one is very foolish not to take that into account when conducting their personal affairs.
These kids were perfect targets, and I don't know that they even were aware of it.
Rita just said that they are looking for evidence to pin down 3rd suspect.
Now Tucker talking about naming suspects and not alleged victim.
The asian news women on CNN are pretty hot too.
100% right. How easy would it be for two white girls to claim a room full of black men had their way with them?
Read this case. Worst example of a railroad job I have ever seen. Might want to read the dissent first. Justice Sanders told me it was the one dissent he was most proud of. If this had happened in L.A., there would have been rioting in the streets.
http://search.mrsc.org/nxt/gateway.dll?f=templates&fn=courts.htm$vid=courts:court
Bob Bennett represented Tucker to clear his name.
The New York Times is reporting that Finnerty's father, Kevin, is a Wall Street executive. It does lend itself to the theory that she is picking the rich players.
Former cop with law degree. Fills that slot for panel and he is ok on tv.
My guess would be that it gives the accuser and the prosecutor the opportunity to change the timeline/circumstances.
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