Posted on 06/18/2006 6:14:18 AM PDT by tlb
The prosecutor insists his rape case is strong. One big problem: the facts thus far.
...court documents in the case increasingly suggest that Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong had very little evidence upon which to indict three players for rape. Indeed, the available evidence is so thin or contradictory that it seems fair to ask what Nifong could have been thinking when he confidently told reporters that there was "no doubt" in his mind that the woman had been raped at the party held by the lacrosse team.
Nifong is described by some lawyers as an adversary who gets dug inand won't budge. But Nifong's motives may have been political as well. He was six weeks away from an election when the Duke case came up. Durham voters are almost evenly divided between black and white. One of Nifong's opponents was black and the other was white, but the white lawyer was much better known in the community, thanks to winning a high-profile murder case. (That opponent, former assistant D.A. Freda Black, became a bitter enemy of Nifong's after, she claims, Nifong fired her.) Nifong promised black voters that he would not let the Duke case drop. He indicted two of the players two weeks before the election. He won narrowly, taking a larger share of the black vote than the other white candidate.
Meanwhile, the players and their families are lying low, trying to figure out how they can get their reputations back. Finnerty and Seligmann are underclassmen and may be able to transfer to another college and still play lacrosse if the charges are dropped. Evans has already started to pay a price in the real world. He was supposed to begin a good job after graduation, but the job offer was withdrawn.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
But why would they? They all seem anxious to tell their side of the story, don't they?
This shows that the idiot Nifong had no idea who he was really dealing with. He also had no idea that this story would become mainstream nationwide news, on a daily basis for over 3 months now. I wonder what he's thinking now? LOL!
every time I see this POS's grinning face on t.v. I want to spit at my screen, but then I have to clean it up. I hope and pray there are skeletons uncovered in this twit's closet, something,anything and the tabloids run with it 24/7 and the write in candidate wins the nov. election; that would be almost as nice as vietnam war hero kerry's loss in 2004
Perhaps the feds should read the evidence.
Whether Mr. Nifong is a Democrat, Republican or any other political patina is not relevant. In fact, I think it's a basic error to elect either prosecutors or judges on a partisan party label. There's no Republican or Democratic way to enforce the criminal law as a prosecutor or rule on issues of law as a judge. I know folks here see everything through the prism of political party or some other myth like the meaningless liberal or conservative, but the actors within the judicial process are particularly ill-suited to perform their duites dressed in party colors.
the black player's mother came out in their defense early on, about how they were good,respectful, honest boys and there is no mention of this in the MSM anywhere
While you were gone there was an article posted that said that Bob Bennett is actually a cousin of one of the Duke boys. I think it was last Saturday's Washington Post article. FWIW
"Newsweek initially was ready to string the players up before trial. They seem to have reconsidered."
Newsweek is about to get some new owners. I hear none of them finished college.
I think he's the one who made it nationwide news, because he could not keep his big mouth shut.
Now I think he wishes he'd never heard of Dan Abrams....
That's exactly what happened to Scott Peterson!
She didn't say she had been raped until she was taken to a mental-health and substance-abuse facility, where she was to be involuntarily committed.
There's the "motive" right there.
It will HAVE to be the Feds. I received a reply from the NC Attorney General's office, stating something to the effect of "The Durham District Attorney is an elected official of that county, and we aren't going to get involved." I really didn't expect them to, but you would think they would at least notice the public outcry for justice. This state is the worst in the nation for corruption in state government, from local planning boards all the way up to the Governor.
I hadn't heard that myself! All I can say is BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! More proof that Nifong had no idea what he was getting into!
I think one of the potential new owners graduated and then got indicted.
Don't forget Broadhead. He couldn't throw those boys under the bus fast enough. Duke University needs new leadership. I hope Broadhead pays for his actions one way or another.
How Bob Bennett came on the scene:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/09/AR2006060902029_4.html
I have to say this case has been a huge eye-opener.
Very interesting point in that article you posted that a lawsuit against Nifong at this time might force him off the case.
Welcome back again.
One of the mysteries to me in the war on terror is how after a group hijacks airplanes and flies them into tall building in NYC, the people of the press who fly all the time and work in tall building in NYC ended up siding with the terrorist? I guess they hate W. that much.
Here, again those attacked are them, ie the press. Nifong made a huge huge mistake lying about his evidence to the press when he was essentially taking out after their friends kids who are people like the members of the press, ie northeastern, white establishmet types. I have a few times wondered how this case might have affected the political views of the lacrosse team members and their parents?
I hope the accused and their parents sue the hell out of Durham County and any other potential targets. Taxpayers end up paying more for electing idiots and incompetents like Nifong. I'd sue the accuser, too, not that I'd get any money, but for the satisfaction of publicly shaming her.
There was a negative letter to the editor in yesterday's Durham Herald-Sun from someone named Joe Dibona, criticizing Brodhead for caving and reinstating the lacrosse team ("Brodhead Can't Handle it"):
http://www.heraldsun.com/opinion/hsletters/
Coincidentally, there is a Duke Asst. Professor Joe Di Bona, PHD Berkeley, who is likely a kindred spirit of Houston Baker.
http://fds.duke.edu/db/aas/Education/faculty/joseph.di_bona
I like thinking of Brodhead being squeezed from multiple directions.
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