Duke Lacrosse Players Arrested to Face Rape Charges

Fox News ^ | 4/18/06

[mathprof]

Two Duke University lacrosse players were arrested early Tuesday on charges of rape, sexual offense and kidnapping, FOX News has confirmed.

Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty, both 20 years old, were being held on $400,000 bond each. Seligmann had posted bond by 7:30 a.m. and Finnerty was in the process of doing so. By posting bond, the players avoid making an initial court appearance later Tuesday.

District Attorney Mike Nifong said authorities are still trying to identify a third assailant.

[Cedric]

Wow, she sure sobered-up in a hurry. She was passed-out drunk less than an hour before the party, I mean job. Also, the first 911 call contained 3 prevarications.

[Lancey Howard]

The old saying in Pennsylvania was that the DA could get the Grand Jury to indict a ham sandwich.

The one that murdered Mama Cass Elliot?

[claudiustg]

Something like this will screw up their entire lives no matter what the outcome.

[Rodney King]

LOL.

[TomGuy]

I also heard that DNA of two of the players was found on a towel in the bathroom.

That was reported last week. Report said that the DNA was from 2 who actually resided in the house, so their DNA on towels would not unusual. That same report also said no DNA evidence from any of the [white] Lacrosse players was found on the woman; reports also said the one Black Lacrosse player was not tested for DNA.

[Rodney King]

[First I've heard that the woman was kidnapped.]

Held in the bathroom, while being raped. I.E. piling on the charges.

[cripplecreek]

I just wish there was a law that prevented either side from running to the media with their spin.

[txroadkill]

When this is over and these guys have been cleared (I'm assuming they will be just based on the fact that the other stripper has denied anything happened) then the accuser should be referred to the feds for civil rights violations and let her get 30 to 40 years. If this DA is looking to set an example, then lets set one to show what happens when you falsely play the race card and the rape card out vengeance or to get yourself out of trouble.

[LWalk18]

Held in the bathroom, while being raped. I.E. piling on the charges.

Both the kidnapping and sexual offense charges allow for a compromise verdict from the jury if they end up at odds over a verdict on rape. It is not supposed to be done, but juries do it.

[FreedomPoster]

>>All rapists must hang...

Agree wholeheartedly.

Thus far, there's precious little to indicate there is one present in this case.

[thoughtomator]

You can say that again.

[Rummyfan]

I know the charges are serious (even doubting their validity) but a $400K bond?

[Diddle E. Squat]

Which makes me wonder if a positive test is indeed what secured the indictment. Yeah, seems difficult for the accusation of administering rohypnol to carry any weight without positive test results. And if they didn't do testing at the hospital then someone really blew it.

[Courdeleon02]

Agreed.

[AntiGuv]

BTW, just to be clear, I had a prescription for Rohypnol when I lived in Russia, when I had severe insomnia for a period. Back in the U.S. it was switched to Trazodone. I was taking one or the other for about a year and a half.

[MaDeuce]

"All rapists must hang..."

I thought that North Carolina does or did make rape a capitol offense punishable by execution.

If so, these kids could be looking at a death sentence.

Lesson to be learned: Don't hire strippers for a private party. Don't hire hookers period. And if your stupid enough to do either, don't use your real name or where you live/go to school.

The kids who hired here should do some time just for being stupid ... in this day and age.

[JamesP81]

This DA is just seriously asking for a public drubbing. It ought to be fun to watch, though. Nothing warms my black little heart like lawyers getting their posteriors publicly handed to them.

[AntiGuv]

Reports are that they were hired by one of the team captains, and the team captains haven't been charged.

[GOP_Proud]

< Collin Finnerty >

Wonder if he's related to Kevin Finnerty, Tony Soprano's Purgitory ID.

[LWalk18]

When this is over and these guys have been cleared (I'm assuming they will be just based on the fact that the other stripper has denied anything happened)

She hasn't denied that anything happened. She told the defense that the accuser never made any claim that she was raped and that she didn't see anything. Yesterday she was interviewed and said that although she wasn't paying attention, she believed the accuser. She would be a hostile witness for the defense, and would like be unreliable to the prosecution.

As to them being cleared, I don't think it will be as easy as many here believe. While I look at the evidence so far and am inclined to believe that no rape occurred, we don't what new evidence will be disclosed at trial or what will be supressed by the judge and will not be a part of the trial. We don't know what the jury will look like or even if the trial will remain in Durham. As I posted above, I wouldn't be surprised to see a "compromise verdict" of sexual offferse because the jury has a feeling that "something happened". The two, soon maybe three suspects may face a long road ahead of them.